Fire spitter mask "wanjugo" · Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3033182
Description
wood, brown patina, black paint, kaolin, composed of different animals (crocodile jaw, wart hog fangs, mighty buffalo horns), crowned by a small vessel, a chameleon and a bird’s head, rep. (horns, tusks), min. dam., minor missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
the mask type “wanjugo” belongs to the “wabele” society. The masks are greatly feared and have a powerful magic potential. Usually they have a small circular receptacle on the top of the cranium, filled with magic substances. Sometimes they are called “firespitter” masks. In former times their open mouth used to be filled with blaze, which the dancers blew to showers of sparks.
The object Fire spitter mask “wanjugo” with the object ID 3033182 was part of the auction 75th tribal art auction on November 30, 2013. The object with the lot number 288 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,600 with an asking price of EUR 2,500.
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Comparing literature
Hahner-Herzog, Iris, Das Zweite Gesicht, Genf, München, New York 1997, ill. 13