Mask "kpelié" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3038147

Description

wood, slightly shiny dark brown patina, characteristic: ornamental projections, surmounted by two seated birds, pierced around the rim, min. dam., small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, base;
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 3038147 was last part of the auction 79th Tribal Art Auction at March 21, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 209 achieved a sales price of EUR 5,500.

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Comparing literature

Burkhard, Gottschalk, Senufo - Unbekannte Schätze aus privaten Sammlungen, Düsseldorf 2009, p. 142