Information
H 16 cm
Miniature mask.
It belongs to the sculptures common among the Dan, Mano, Yacouba, and Guerzè, people, who live in the forest region on the borders of Ivory Coast, Guinea and Liberia.The face is carved in a perfect oval shape, where the elevated vertical axis divides it in two symmetrical parts. Its mouth is composed of two thick, half-closed lips, its straight nose divides the large circular eyes in two, and a beard made of intertwined fibres completes the mask’s silhouette. The head has a thick mixture of material associated with its owner’s divinatory practices. This continual use has left clear traces on the surface of the wood.
Provenance
- Former private collection (Lugano);