Zoomorphic mask "bonu amwin" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3032413

Description

heavy wood, brown patina, pigment remains, crude carved, pierced around the rim, min. dam., minor missing parts (horn tips), fissures, on metal base;
“bonu amwin” means “god of the woods”. This mask of high authority belongs to the “do” secret society. This mask was greatly feared, it was a powerful force for averting harm and maintaining order in the community. Each village had at least one. Women were rigorously excluded from all performances and were not permitted to see the mask. Should a woman see one even by accident, it was said, that she is doomed to die.

Comparing literature

Boyer, Alain-Michel, Baule, Mailand 2008, pl. 3