A Baule/Yaure Moonmask, Ivory Coast, mid 20th century, with a pointed mouth beneathe a slender nose, framed by bulging sliteyes, scarification patterns at the cheeks and the forehead, the rim partly fragmentary.

Yaure masks symbolize the 'yu' or spirit power. They have faces with a protruding mouth and pierced semi-circular eyes set under a high forehead. An elaborate plaited coiffure parted on each side, with horns or birds at the end, completes the image, while the outline of the mask is characteristically surrounded by a serrated edge. Yaure masks are worn predominantly on two occasions: the Je celebration and the Lo ceremony. The first purifies the village after a death and helps the deceased's soul on its way to its final resting place. Painted masks are mainly worn by dancers during this ceremony, while for the Lo ceremony, masks covered with black pigments appear. The function of each type of mask is not rigidly fixed, which leads to their appearance during either ceremony.

Boyer, Alain-Michel, Patrick Girard, Marceau Rivière, Art Premiers de Côte d´Ivoire, Sepia, 1997; 83, 84.

sold

Height:  22 cm
Weight: 450 g