Face mask of the "mblo" group ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3036656

Description

wood, stained reddish brown patina, black paint, white pigment, idealized face with regular facial features and fine grooved coiffure, superimposed to a dish-shaped vaulted base, crossbar on the backside for fixing the mask with the teeth, slightly dam., vertical crack backside, missing parts through insect caused damage (at the lower rim), metal base;
“mblo” masks appear at the so-called “gbagba” dances, which are for entertainment on the Baule days of rest, the new year, the arrival of important visitors, and the national holiday. The masks also appear at the funerals of important women, and very occasionally of men particularly associated with the dance. The final appearances of the dance are portraits of known villagers, greeted joyously, fanned and escorted to a chair where they sit briefly before departing. Most “mblo” portrait masks can be recognized by their facial features, their hairstyles, and their scarifications as depictions of known men and women.