Walking stick - Wood - Baoulé mask

The Baulé masks used in entertainment dances are one of the oldest forms of Baoulé art. These masks typically portray a portrait of a particular individual. The surfaces are smooth, curved, well-polished, highlighting the hairstyle or the scarifications. The forehead is high, symbolizing intelligence, and the eyes lowered, showing respect for the surrounding world. Mblo is the name of a category of performance that uses these facial masks in solo or parodic dances. The progression of the performance is highly structured and relies on a 'script' whose titles can be quite well known (Kpan Kpan, GbaGba). This script evolves and is rewritten regularly every two or three generations. According to S. Vogel's book "L'art Baoulé".