Yaure - Côte d'Ivoire

The Yahuré belong to the Mande group, which consists of the Mandingo and most of the peoples west of the Baulé. Therefore, the Yahuré have adopted the Baulé style for the making of their masks. Like the Baulé, they live in the Buaflé region along the Bandama River. Their masks generally have a serrated edge that is mistakenly considered to be a beard (female figures have the same decoration). The masks of the Yahuré, called Do or Lo and Dyé or Jé, are mostly anthropomorphic and anthropo-zoomorphic face masks. The Dyé and Do masks have sacred functions comparable to those of the masks of their neighbors (Guro, Baulé). The facial features of the Yauré are very similar in form to the facial masks used in their environment by the Baulé, from which they are inspired.

Provenance: Berthe Hartert collection
Argiles collection, Barcelona