Mask
Côte d'Ivoire, Bété
not available anymore
Provenance
Pascal Alcan Legrand, Paris, FranceSize
H: 25 cm
H: 9.8 inch
Description
wood, blackish brown patina, metal tags, narrow slit eyes with tear sacs, lattice-like teeth, min. dam., missing parts through insect caused damage, traces of abrasion, base;
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.