Mask Blo. - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire

Mblo masks used in entertainment dances are one of the oldest forms of Baoulé art.

These masks are usually the portrait of a particular individual.

The surfaces are smooth, curved, well-polished, highlighting the coiffure or the scarifications.

The forehead is high, symbolizing intelligence, and the eyes lowered, the respect for the surrounding world.

Mblo is the name of a category of performance that uses these facial masks in solo or parody dances.

The progression of the performance is very structured and relies on a script whose names can be very well known (Kpan Kpan, GbaGba).

This script evolves and is regularly rewritten every two or three generations.

According to S. Vogel's book "L'art Baoulé".

The black lacquered appearance is obtained by a mixture of latex and charcoal, the mask is then polished using rough leaves.

Old brown patina.

Height 32 cm × width 15 cm × depth 11 cm Weight 472 g

Shipped by registered Colissimo.