Face mask with bells ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Wé · ID: 3037035

Description

wood, brown patina, remains of white pigment in the eyezone, metal teeth, beard of human hair, seventeen bells with clappers attached around the face, fabric, moss/lichenic, animal hair, forehead zone with inserted metal tags, slightly dam., minor missing parts (eyelids, nose, mouth), drilled holes around the rim broken out backside/replaced by a second row, base;
the use of metal indicates wealth, and thus power and authority. Through the use of metal addictions like bells, a mask becomes more powerful and efficient. The shiny effect of the metal and even the sound of the bells carry meaning. Both qualities make the dance more impressive and get the attention of not only the spectators but also of the ancestors.

Comparing literature

Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 104 f.