Baule

Mask Features
Based on style and decoration, the mask features elements attributable to several ethnic traditions of Central and West Africa:
Baoulé Ethnic Group (Ivory Coast): Similar masks are described as "passport masks" or ceremonial masks of the Baoulé group, often handmade and adorned with small beads and shells.
Songye/Luba Cultures (Democratic Republic of the Congo): Many elements, such as the elongated shape and the stripes (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 patterns made with yellow, black, and red glass beads, and cowrie shell inlays on the forehead, eyes, and nose.
These objects are typically used both for ritual and protective purposes and as refined wall decorative elements in ethnic art.