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Julien Gauthier

A Jimini mask from the Dabakala region in northeastern Ivory Coast belongs to a sculptural tradition closely related to the Senufo and Ligbi cultural sphere. The Jimini, also called Djimini, developed a distinctive mask style characterized by strong geometric facial planes, prominent brows, refined scarification patterns, and dense black or dark brown ritual patinas. Their artistic production reflects exchanges with neighboring Senufo, Kulango, and Baule carving traditions while maintaining an individual visual identity. Incl stand.

The bandages attached to certain Jimini masks are not repairs but ritual elements. Such cloth bindings often carried protective, medicinal, or spiritual meaning and could contain charged substances associated with sacrifice, purification, or the activation of the mask’s spiritual force. In many West African masking traditions, wrapped textiles symbolize accumulated ritual power and repeated ceremonial use. The presence of these bindings therefore reinforces the authenticity of ceremonial practice rather than indicating damage or restoration.

The fine touch patina visible on older Jimini masks results from long ritual handling, libations, sacrificial materials, smoke exposure, palm oil applications, and repeated performances. Sources describe the famous dark and thick surfaces of Djimini masks as partly related to local techniques using tree resins, originally associated with pottery glazing traditions and later adapted to sculpture and masks.

Jimini masks were used during masquerades connected with ritual ceremonies, initiations, social regulation, and appearances of protective bush spirits. Some masks were associated with the Do society, a broader ritual institution shared across parts of northern Ivory Coast and linked to moral authority, initiation knowledge, and community cohesion. The performances combined dance, music, costume, and spiritual transformation, allowing the masked dancer to embody supernatural forces or ancestral presences rather than a human individual.

The refined carving, balanced facial symmetry, and layered patina of these masks indicate that they were not created as decorative objects but as activated ritual sculptures intended for ceremonial visibility, spiritual mediation, and communal authority.

References

Christie’s, “Masque Djimini, République de Côte d’Ivoire”
Barnebys, “Mask – Little Brother – Côte d’Ivoire”
Dorotheum, “Jimini, Ivory Coast: A Mask with Large Buffalo Horns”
British Museum, collection entry Af1948,25.1
Interencheres, “Djimini Mask from the Do Society”
Art-Masque-Africain, “Djimini Mask”
Claude Michalak, Arts Premiers de Côte d’Ivoire, Paris 2013
Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Weaving in Africa, München 1987



Wood - Fair condition

A wooden mask - Jimini - Côte d'Ivoire  (No reserve price)

African & Tribal Art

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30 October

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1 November

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tomorrow

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31 October

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Tribal art and objects

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African & Tribal Art

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A wooden mask - Jimini - Côte d'Ivoire (No reserve price)

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