Anthropo-zoomorphic face mask "dehe gla"

Côte d'Ivoire, Wè-Guéré

sold EUR 8,000

Provenance

South of France Colonial Collection
Bruno Frey, Arnay-le-Duc, France (2023)

Size

H: 32 cm

H: 12.6 inch

Description

wood, pigments, metal, base

The Wè have a wide variety of masks that are used primarily to convey moral codes of conduct, but also to settle disputes. Miscellaneous objects and material are added to their strong features to increase their spiritual power.

It is hardly possible to assign a mask to a particular type once it has been taken out of context. This is because the costume and above all the props that the dancer holds in his hands, provide information about this: sticks in the case of a dancer, a ladle for the “comedy beggar”, the tibia of an animal for a hunter, a weapon for the “bravery mask”.

This mask probably belongs to the type of the “dancer entertainer”, known as “dehe gla” or “dehe zri”. A comparable example published in Boyer, 2019, p. 109, pl. 9 (and book cover).

“Dehe gla” has established itself as a master of ceremonies, whose repertory of gestures enters into sketches, parodying occupations and activities. This sets the audience laughing. They enthusiastically ply him with presents - formerly brass dowry bracelets, today bank notes. The mask is worn by young men who must be virtuoso dancers (Boyer, 2019, p. 47 f.).