Guro mask - Guro - Côte d'Ivoire

This mask possesses a particular elegance, with outstanding plasticity characterized by morbidly sweetly arched surfaces and fleeting lines, highlighted by a brilliant patina of use. It features almond-shaped, slanted, half-closed eyes on a subtle, elongated face; the delicately undulating profile line runs uninterrupted from the domed forehead to the tip of the nose, slightly raised upwards, above an open mouth revealing teeth in a graceful, subtle smile, accentuated by the shape of the eyes. The mask bears delicate scarifications on the forehead and earlobes and an elaborate vertical bun hairstyle called 'kongolo,' worn in ancient times, slightly tilted back following the slight curve of the profile and tied at the top. This mask is the work of a genius sculptor. It is made of very hard wood, showing numerous signs of Baoulé influence, particularly in the scarifications and slightly arched eyebrows. The treatment of the hairstyle also reveals the hand of a virtuoso.

Provenance: Berthe Hartert collection
Argiles collection, Barcelona