A We Guerre mask, Cote d'Ivoire, with fabric attachments, and several rows of protruding holes on the surface. Encrusted patina; signs of ritual use and age. Incl stand. We Guerre masks are among the most visually forceful masking traditions of western Côte d’Ivoire and play a central role in the ritual, political, and social life of the We peoples, specifically the Guerre subgroup. Masking within We Guerre society is embedded in systems of age grades, warrior associations, and community governance, where masks function as active agents of authority rather than symbolic representations. The mask is understood as a living presence that enters the human realm to confront disorder, resolve conflict, and reaffirm communal norms. Formally, We Guerre masks are distinguished by their extreme abstraction and confrontational aesthetic. Carved from wood, they commonly feature exaggerated and asymmetrical facial elements, including bulging or tubular eyes, exposed teeth, jutting jaws, and sharply angular contours. Human and animal features are often combined, emphasizing the mask’s non-human and dangerous character. Additional materials such as pigments, metal, fiber, horns, and feathers may be incorporated to amplify visual intensity and spiritual efficacy. The deliberate distortion and visual aggression of We Guerre masks are integral to their function as instruments of fear, control, and protection. We Guerre masks are primarily activated through public masquerade performances during funerals, initiations, periods of social unrest, or moments requiring judicial intervention. Their appearances are sudden and unscheduled, reinforcing the perception of autonomy and unpredictability. Accompanied by drumming, shouting, and rapid movement, the masked figure patrols village spaces, confronts individuals, and enacts sanctions. The wearer’s identity is strictly concealed, as the mask is believed to operate independently of human agency, embodying a force that transcends individual responsibility. Scholarly interpretations emphasize that We Guerre masks cannot be understood apart from performance, movement, and sound. Their aggressive visual language is a purposeful communicative strategy rather than an expression of individual artistic excess. Different mask types within We Guerre society correspond to specific functions, ranging from social regulation and warfare symbolism to funerary rites and community protection, each governed by established behavioral codes and ritual restrictions. In art historical discourse, We Guerre masks have been central to Western encounters with African art, particularly for their influence on early twentieth-century modernism and theories of abstraction. Contemporary scholarship, however, prioritizes indigenous frameworks of meaning, situating these masks within lived systems of power, belief, and collective responsibility. Viewed in this context, We Guerre masks emerge as dynamic, performative embodiments of authority, danger, and social cohesion. References Bacquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. Thames & Hudson. Fischer, Eberhard, and Himmelheber, Hans. Art of the Dan and We Peoples. Museum Rietberg. Harley, George W. Native African Medicine: With Special Reference to Its Practice in the Mano Tribe of Liberia. Oxford University Press. Kasfir, Sidney Littlefield. African Art and the Colonial Encounter. Indiana University Press. CAB29084 Height: 31 cm without stand