A horned Baule mask with metal sheets at the forehea, .the stylized coiffure and the temples; fine, aged patina, dense heavy wood.

According to the last owner belonging to the adjusu cult (also known as gbagba or mblo depending on the region), "the ndoma ("double") portrait-mask is one of the most surprising creations of the Baulé. This type of mask, deliberately designed to evoke a person, is exceptional in Africa!" (Alain-Michel Boyer, 2008. p.69) , if our info are correct, we have never seen a horned version of this type of mask.

In her important publication Baule: "While the relative naturalism and consummate workmanship of Baule objects were praised at the outset, today these objects are appreciated for their subtle rhythms and a beauty that stops short of sweetness. To the Western eye, an essence of Baule style is a balanced asymmetry that enlivens while suggesting stability and calm. [...] To an art historian, the most consistent feature of Baule art, and one expressed across the wide variety of Baule object types, is a kind of peaceful containment. Faces tend to have downcast eyes and figures often hold their arms against the body, so that Westerners might feel that the mood of much classical Baule art is introspective."  Susan Vogel , Baule: African Art, Western Eyes, New Haven, 1997, pp. 26-28)

sold

Height: 40 cm
Weight: 1,2 kg