Horned mask of the "je" group · Côte d'Ivoire, Yaure · ID: 3040240
Philippe Ratton, Paris, France
Description
wood, blackish brown shiny patina, white pigment, regular facial features, symmetrical arranged horns, slightly dam., missing parts (chin/beard/chinplug), rep. at the same place, crack backside at the upper rim, metal base;
these masks are emblems for the idealized imagery used to pay homage to the “yu” or - “spirit powers” - intermediary spirits between “bali”, the supreme god, and humans. They are manifestations of the “spirit powers” in the human world. The mask belongs to the “je” group which is comprised ideally of seven masks which preside over the funerals of young men who have died before fatherhood. A long nocturnal watch around a large fire marks the beginning of funeral rites and it is interspersed with dances, chanting and libations of palm wine.
Comparing literature
Barbier, Jean Paul (ed.), Art of Côte d' Ivoire, Vol II, Genève 1993, p. 108, ill. 182