Masked Baoulé ram - Baoulé mask ram - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire (No reserve price)

Two-colored African animal mask, with conical, protruding pupils, it is adorned with parallel hatch marks and relief-engraved ornamental motifs. The twisted carved horns, in tribal art, evoke aggression and destructive power. Long ears frame the animal’s head, highlighting the relief of the snout. The vision in this case was through the mouth opening. A sacrificial victim for offerings and a metaphor for pugnacity, the ram mask intervenes during ceremonies related to the Poro male initiation society. Dense wood, smooth patina, off-white and brown. It is logically forbidden to consume the animal that has become a totem because it is tied to legends concerning ancestors, under penalty of serious consequences. Masks representing it are honored in ways that generate blessings, and are the property of the family. There are also so-called “entertainment” masks that are danced during certain festivities. According to Baoulé mythology, a royal ancestor had to sacrifice his son to cross a river. This event is the origin of the Baoulé name, Bauli, ‘the son is dead.’ They represent the majority of Ivory Coast’s population. Baoulé African art artists have produced very elegant and diverse works, many of which.