Zoomorphic mask "zamble" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Guro · ID: 3038228

Description

wood, shiny blackish and matt middle brown patina, kaolin, of characteristic form and colouring, as always depicted with open snout and elegant curved antelope horns, slightly dam. (horn tips), abrasion of paint, metal base;
the three masks “zamble”, “gu” and “zauli” are cult objects and are the property of certain families. They are considered helper or tutelary spirits for these families, their clans, and the village where they are settled. Within these families, certain men are then directly responsible for each of the masks. The “zamble zan” is the actual owner of “zamble”. He must offer sacrifices to the mask-being, rigorously follow specific rules, and accept gifts on behalf of the mask-being from people who want to pay hommage to this cult object. “Zamble buzan” is the dancer who wears and embodies “zamble”. He has to perform when someone from the family (or someone important from the clan) has died, or if an affair of the family or the village has to be given particular emphasis.

Littérature comparée

Fischer, Eberhard, Guro, Masks, Munich, Berlin, London, New York 2008, p. 166 ff. Homberger, Lorenz, Fischer, Eberhard, Die Kunst der Guro, Elfenbeinküste, Zürich 1985, p. 142 ff.