Auction 104 After sale
Zemanek-Münster

Anthropomorphic face mask "gu"

Côte d'Ivoire, Guro
not available anymore
Provenance
Merton D. Simpson, New York City, USA
William J. (Bill) Moore, Los Angeles, USA
Size
H: 35 cm
H: 13.8 inch

Description

wood, handwritten inventory no., “4528 - V 209”, base

“Gu” is a female being and is always carved “uanya iri nya”, i. e. according to the image of “a beautiful young woman”.

Her high-ranking position is indicated by hair that is tied up in a bunch, a high chignon adorned with an amulet. This amulet (“sa”) consists of a band with a little leather pouch (often decorated with four ivory plates) that holds verses of the Koran.


Publications

AHDRC: 0060122


Exhibition

Palos Verdes Art Gallery, 1947 (as a Youre mask); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1972

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