A Kulango mask collected in Abengourou region, Ivory Coast, with large horns. Signs of ritual use and age. incl stand. Kulango masks from the Abengourou region of eastern Côte d’Ivoire form part of the masking traditions of the Kulango people, who are culturally linked to their Akan neighbors, including the Abron and Baule. These masks are primarily associated with initiation, funerary rites, and agricultural festivals, reflecting the community’s spiritual engagement with ancestors and protective forest spirits. They serve both as vehicles of social cohesion and as instruments for mediating between the visible and invisible worlds. Kulango masks are typically carved from a single block of hardwood and exhibit a combination of stylized and naturalistic features. The facial forms are often elongated, with arched or crescent-shaped brows, narrow slit or almond eyes, and a small, protruding mouth. Some masks include subtle scarification marks on the forehead and cheeks, reflecting ideals of local beauty and identity. Many examples incorporate superstructures or projections, such as animal motifs, geometric crests, or curved horns, which allude to the mask’s spiritual attributes or to the protective energies of the forest. The surfaces are frequently darkened with oil and soot or enhanced with traces of polychrome pigment to emphasize key features. In performance, Kulango masks are worn with raffia or fabric costumes that conceal the dancer’s identity, transforming him into the spiritual entity the mask represents. The dances occur in ceremonial contexts such as initiation rituals marking the passage from youth to adulthood, or during funerals for important elders. The mask’s presence ensures the proper transition of the soul to the ancestral realm and the protection of the community from malevolent forces. Agricultural and harvest festivals may also feature masks that invoke fertility and collective prosperity. The Kulango share artistic influences with the Baule and Anyi peoples of the surrounding region, yet their masks maintain a distinct aesthetic, often less ornate and more restrained than Baule mblo masks, while integrating symbolic superstructures characteristic of the forest-zone visual tradition. The spiritual potency of these masks lies not only in their sculptural form but also in the songs, dances, and ritual procedures that animate them in communal life. Kulango masks were relatively less documented by early colonial collectors compared to neighboring Baule and Guro traditions, resulting in a smaller but significant corpus in museum collections today. Examples are housed in institutions such as the Musée du quai Branly, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Rietberg Museum, where they contribute to the understanding of Akan-related masking systems and the ritual arts of eastern Côte d’Ivoire. References: Fagg, William. African Tribal Images. New York: Praeger, 1973. Vogel, Susan Mullin. Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997. Musée du quai Branly. “Masque Kulango, Côte d’Ivoire.” quai-branly.fr. Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Mask, Kulango Peoples.” metmuseum.org. Fagg, William, and Margaret Plass. African Sculpture. London: British Museum Publications, 1964. Height: 28 cm without stand.