Beautiful portrait mask "ndoma" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3046591

Description

wood, eyes with inlay, kaolin, base

“Ndoma” masks appear during “mblo” dances, which are performed in times of crisis. They are supposed to allay the fears of the villagers and serve as entertainment. "

“Ndoma” can be roughly translated as “namesake”. The masks usually bear the name of the person represented and during performances, that person is required to be present when her mask appears.

Most portrait masks can be recognized by their facial features, their hairstyles, and their scarifications as depictions of known men and women.