Zoomorphic mask "bonu amwin"
Côte d'Ivoire, Baoulé
Vendu
1 200 €
Provenance
La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, USASotheby Parke Bernet New York, 14 & 15 October 1977, lot 524
Lorne Balshine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Taille
H: 49 cm
H: 19.3 inch
Description
wood, black partly encrusted patina, red and white paint, helmet-shaped, drilled holes around the rim, min. dam., minor missing parts, traces of abrasion;
“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, she is doomed to die.