Mask "kpelié" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3036473

Description

wood, dark brown patina, remains of indigo blue pigment, typical ornamental projections aside and next to the chin, surmounted by a small zoomorphic figure, pierced around the rim, min. dam., small missing parts (back), slight traces of abrasion;
the name “kpelié” is derived from the Senufo word for “jumping” and literally means “face of the jumper”. The mask belongs to the carver society “kulibèlè” and is called “woman of the old carver” in her most common female form. She appears at funerals and for entertainment. Primarily she is worn by adolescents, who are not yet initiated. “Kpelié” is regularly danced at the end of february when the hot season starts and the fruits of the kappok tree dehisce.

The object Mask “kpelié” with the object ID 3036473 was last part of the auction 76th tribal art auction at March 22, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 211.

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Comparing literature

Förster, Till, Die Kunst der Senufo aus Schweizer Sammlungen, Zürich 1988, p. 36, ill. 17