No. 83431405

No longer available
Walebo - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire
Bidding closed
1 week ago

Walebo - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire

A twin Walebo mask, Ivory Coast, collected in the region Sakassou, composed of two faces both coming from one rounded base mask, both features are similar, a pointed mouth, longer nose, two globular eyes, some traces of keloid scarifications on the cheeks, near the mouth and between the eyes, the hairdo is pulled back in a conical shape; two large cracks on each face, some damage on the rims of the mask, thick encrusted patina, traces of use. Provenance: Belo Mohamed Garba. “In Baule communities in Côte d'Ivoire, Mblo performances comprise skits that feature masked dancers who impersonate familiar subjects that range from animals to human caricatures. The dances escalate in complexity and importance and eventually culminate in a performance that pays tribute to the community's most admired member. The individual thus honored is depicted by a mask that is conceived as his or her artistic "double" or "namesake." The highly stylized compositions of double-faced twin masks are the abstract projection of ideas relating to complementary opposites. Traditionally, Baule villages owned up to a dozen Mblo masks, though not all of them necessarily appeared at every performance.“ Source: The MET museum

No. 83431405

No longer available
Walebo - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire

Walebo - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire

A twin Walebo mask, Ivory Coast, collected in the region Sakassou, composed of two faces both coming from one rounded base mask, both features are similar, a pointed mouth, longer nose, two globular eyes, some traces of keloid scarifications on the cheeks, near the mouth and between the eyes, the hairdo is pulled back in a conical shape; two large cracks on each face, some damage on the rims of the mask, thick encrusted patina, traces of use. Provenance: Belo Mohamed Garba.

“In Baule communities in Côte d'Ivoire, Mblo performances comprise skits that feature masked dancers who impersonate familiar subjects that range from animals to human caricatures. The dances escalate in complexity and importance and eventually culminate in a performance that pays tribute to the community's most admired member. The individual thus honored is depicted by a mask that is conceived as his or her artistic "double" or "namesake." The highly stylized compositions of double-faced twin masks are the abstract projection of ideas relating to complementary opposites. Traditionally, Baule villages owned up to a dozen Mblo masks, though not all of them necessarily appeared at every performance.“ Source: The MET museum

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