Mask ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Bété · ID: 3034760

Description

wood, dark brown patina, decorating nails, narrow slit eyes with tear sacs, lattice-like teeth, a beard made from plant fibre and red wool, pierced around the rim, small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, socle;
the most famous Bete masks are those which look like a medieval helmet, with the tusks crossing the face from one side to the other and thus forming a sort of visor (copied from the Ngere masks). Lesser used are masks which combine stylistic elements of the Dan, like the forehead ridge, or metal teeth with characteristics of the other surrounding ethnical groups, as is the case with present mask.

Comparing literature

Celenko, Theodore, A treasury of African Art from the Harrison Eiteljorg Collection, Bloomington 1983, p. 76