Grebo Fetish Mask Taï Region, Western Ivory Coast Wood, Pigments, incl stand. The powerfully sculpted mask derives its effect from a radical deconstruction of the human face. Tubular eyes and several horn-like protrusions emerge from the heavy, darkly patinated facial structure; a massive, angularly projecting mouth or snout defines the lower half. Remnants of red pigment condense the center into an expressive field of color. Abrasion, encrustations, and the irregularly grown surface lend the object an almost geological presence. The sculptural elements appear less as an anatomical representation than as a sign of heightened, superhuman perception and power. The mask is attributed to the Grebo context of the Taï region in western Ivory Coast, near the Liberian border. In this culturally intertwined area, Grebo, Kran, Wè, and neighboring groups developed related, yet locally differentiated, mask traditions. Museum collections also attribute corresponding mask types to Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, across borders. Characteristic of certain masks from this Western cultural sphere is a deliberately aggressive formal language, in which multiple or strongly protruding sensory organs can symbolize the presence of non-human forces. Described as a “fetish mask,” the present work likely served less to represent an individual than to embody and control spiritual power. Literature (selection): Eberhard Fischer / Hans Himmelheber: The Art of the Dan. Zurich 1976. Harley, George W.: Masks as Agents of Social Control in Northeast Liberia. Cambridge, Mass. 1950. Vogel, Susan Mullin: African Art, Western Eyes. New Haven 1997. Inv. No. MAZ21183 Informant Bakari Bouaflé