Baoulé mask - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire (No Reserve Price)

The Baoulé ethnicity currently inhabits the central and eastern regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The Baoulé arrived from Ghana in the first third of the 18th century. In Ghana, they had learned to master, like the Ashanti, the handling of metal, and in their new location, they had to learn from the Gouro how to work with wood. The combination of their old skills with new knowledge resulted in a technically superior art and a balanced aesthetic. An example is these Kplé-kplé masks: the face refers to the sun, and its rays are represented by painted triangles. The buffalo horns are a symbol of fertility. The gentle patina used indicates that the pursuit of beauty is one of the main characteristics of Baoulé art. These masks are used in rites related to agriculture, fertility, and also in funeral ceremonies. The Baoulé do not have initiation rites.