Mask - Côte d’Ivoire (No reserve price)

A cynocephalus monkey features an offering cut. These sculptures were mistakenly called Gbékré (mouse) due to 'Delafosse's misunderstanding of two cults' (Boyer, 'Baulé' 5Continents). Often associated with the Mbra cult of divination and possession, these monkey statues belong to the group of 'beings of power' or amwin, intermediaries between God and humans, given to the Baoulé by their Creator, much like the sacred masks which share their broad, gaping jaws. They are also thought to be a minor deity named Aboya. For propitiatory purposes, these sculptures were meant to house spirits to whom offerings were made and libations poured. They exhibit a granular sacrificial patina, drips, cracks, and indigenous restorations (such as clamps).