Mask - Côte d’Ivoire (No reserve price)

This figure of motherhood, whose characteristics refer to the Senoufo of northern Côte d'Ivoire, would embody the mother goddess or Katyeleo. It is depicted here in the company of symbols considered a blessing from the Senoufo. These symbols also represent the initiates of the Poro and the people dependent on divine grace. The surface is smooth, medium brown locally abraded. Indigenous restorations have been made using metal staples. The Senoufo, a name given to them by French colonists, are mainly composed of farmers who have dispersed across Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. The councils of elders, led by an elected chief, govern the Senoufo villages. Governed by matrilineal traditions, they consist of clusters of dwellings called katiolo. Each has its own Poro association.