Mask - Côte d’Ivoire (No reserve price)

Baoulé, Baoulé, Baoulé, Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire living in the situation.


A circular mask with hollowed eyes topped with protruding pupils, it features a rectangular mouth with sculpted teeth, related to the traditional image of teeth among the young. It has a beautiful patina eroded and scattered with traces of wear. The female mask Kplekple, according to some authors (African Masks Barbier-Mueller, p.116), is said to be red. Vogel (Baule), on the other hand, indicates that in the Baoulé version of the Goli, the male mask is painted red, and the female one is black. It is likely that this attribution varies from village to village.

Generally preceding a series of masks from the 'Goli' family, this circular mask with rounded horns resembling an antelope is considered a male mask, kplekple yassoua or yaswa, as opposed to the female kplekple bla. It appears discreetly during the day and then in the evening to announce the arrival of its kin under the traits of the goli glin or the kpwan. It is during events such as epidemics or funerals that its appearance occurs among the Wan and Baoulé, aiming to appease the favor of the 'amwin' spirits, who grant such benefits as prosperity, health, or safety. Nowadays, it appears during festive events, with the Goli gradually replacing all other masked dances, whether sacred or entertainment-related.