Mask "gu" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Guro · ID: 3052391

Description

wood, black paint, kaolin,

Together with the animal-faced “zamble” and his brother “zauli”, “gu” forms a group of sacred masks. “Gu” is considered to be “zamble’s” wife and is always depicted as a beautiful young woman.

The masks are owned by respected families and are passed down from generation to generation. As well as being worn at funeral-like ceremonies, they are also donned in celebration, to resolve disputes and unmask wizards.

The object Mask “gu” with the object ID 3052391 was last part of the auction Auction 105 at November 15, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 269.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Fischer, Eberhard & Lorenz Homberger, Die Kunst der Guro, Elfenbeinküste, Zürich 1985, p. 221 ff.