Guro festival mask Wood with ritual patina Oumé Region, Côte d'Ivoire Private Collection Incl stand. This striking Guro festival mask originates from the Oumé region in central-western Côte d'Ivoire, one of the important cultural areas of the Guro people. Guro masks are renowned for their expressive forms, refined carving, and their role in public performances where visual impact and symbolic meaning are closely connected. The mask is distinguished by its vivid red coloration, which gives the surface a powerful ceremonial presence. The coiffure consists of black braided hair, creating a strong contrast with the red painted face. The white, half-closed eyes convey a calm yet mysterious expression, while the open mouth with white teeth and a characteristic central gap adds a distinctive human quality and expressive detail. The combination of painted surfaces, braided hair, and carefully modeled facial features reflects the Guro tradition to create a striking appearance during performance. Festival masks were used in dances and communal celebrations, where they embodied characters, spirits, or socially meaningful figures. The contrast between the red face, black coiffure, pale eyes, and expressive mouth makes this mask a remarkable example of the vibrant and theatrical masking tradition of the Oumé region. Guro art from the Oumé region of Côte d’Ivoire is distinguished by its expressive forms, refined carving, and strong connection to performance traditions. Located in the forest zone of central-western Côte d’Ivoire, the region developed a rich masking tradition influenced by spiritual beliefs and social ceremonies. Guro artists are particularly known for combining elegant human features with imaginative elements such as animal forms, elaborate hairstyles, and striking painted surfaces. Masks often emphasize harmony between beauty and supernatural power, with carefully balanced proportions and expressive details. In the Oumé area, festival masks played an important role in dances and communal events, where color, movement, and costume transformed the sculpture into a living presence. The combination of refined craftsmanship, theatrical expression, and symbolic imagery makes Guro art from this region one of the most distinctive traditions of Côte d’Ivoire. Selected Bibliography Fischer, Eberhard & Homberger, Lorenz (eds.). African Masters: Art from Côte d'Ivoire. Museum Rietberg / Musée du quai Branly, 2014. Neyt, François. Trésors de Côte d'Ivoire. Fonds Mercator, Brussels, 2014. Fischer, Eberhard. Die Kunst der Dan: Elfenbeinküste und Liberia. Museum Rietberg, Zürich, 1974. Himmelheber, Hans. Negerkünstler und Künstler der Elfenbeinküste. Stuttgart, 1960. Förster, Till. The Art of the Guro: Côte d’Ivoire. Basel, 1997. Inv. No. M/A/Z/1/7/8/0/6// The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits. Informant Bakari Bouaflé