Baule

Features of the mask
Based on style and decoration, the mask presents elements traceable to several ethnic traditions of central and western Africa:
Baoulé Ethnic Group (Ivory Coast): Masks of a similar type are described as “passport masks” or ceremonial masks of the Baoulé group, often handmade and embellished with small beads and shells.
Songye/Luba Culture (Democratic Republic of Congo): Many elements, such as the elongated shape and the striations (here seemingly emulated by the bead lines), recall the style of Kifwebe masks.
Tikar People (Cameroon): Some pieces similar in decoration and subject are also attributed to the Tikar tribe of Cameroon.
Construction Details
Material: Carved wood (often wenge or mahogany for this type of tribal art).
Decorations: Intricate geometric motifs made with yellow, black and red glass beads, and cowrie shells embedded on the forehead, around the eyes, and on the nose.
These objects are typically used for both ritual and protective purposes as well as as refined wall-mounted decorative elements in ethnic art.