Mask "kpelie" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3034566

Description

heavy wood, partly encrusted, partly shiny brown patina, crude forms, the characteristic plug-like projections on both sides of the chin missing, surmounted by a seated female figure, rep. (nose), dam., missing parts (arms), cracks, traces of abrasion, metal socle;
in literature this mask type is called “kpelie”, which comes from the Senufo word for “jumping”. A generic term in later research is “kodal”. The masks should drive away the spirit of the deceased from his homestead during the funeral ceremonies.

The object Mask “kpelie” with the object ID 3034566 was last part of the auction 72nd tribal art auction at March 9, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 306.

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