Fine Baoulé/Yahouré Mblo Portrait Mask

A sweet looking Baoulé or Yahouré Mblo portrait mask from Côte d'Ivoire. A highly elegant face with broad high forehead surmounted with a pair of ribbed horns and narrow ears. Arched half moon shaped eyebrows over nearly closed slit eyes, and a long nose and pouting mouth. Carved from a heavy, dense wood, the facial surface is highly polished with traces of white pigment. A small grooved terminus that exhibits wear projects from the chin, and drilled holes appear along the sides for attaching to a dance costume. Overall, the mask exhibits a fine symmetry.

The Yohourés influenced the Baoulés with regard to the aesthetics of the masks and were themselves influenced by the Guro style. The masks of this ethnic group exude serenity and a gentleness which are due to relatively lenient living conditions (climate and agriculture favored by the wooded lagoon region they occupy).

A Mblo portrait mask is carved to represent and honour a distinguished female member of the village. The nearly closed eyes and pursed mouth indicate propriety and respect. In keeping the eyes downcast, the image is that of reserve, which a mature woman is expected to possess. See A Collector's Guide to Masks, pg 21 for a similar example (See the last photo here). The mask was acquired from Pace African & Oceanic Art gallery in Manhattan, in 1987.

No stand is included.

Dimensions: 30 x 17 cm.

c. 1950s