Face mask "kpelié"
Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo
not available anymore
Provenance
Theo Wulfen, The NetherlandsZemanek-Münster Würzburg, 22. September 2007, lot 269
Udo Petry, Hohnhorst, Germany
Size
H: 34 cm
H: 13.4 inch
Description
wood, brown patina, remains of black paint, narrow-slit eyes framed by concentric grooves, incised radial arranged scarifications at the corners of the mouth, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, crack, missing part, socle;
belonging to the “poro” society. “Kpelié”-masks had to turn out the spirits of deceased out of their houses. The leg-like projections beside the chin presumably are remains of lobes at temples and cheeks.