A Baule elephant mask, with delicate aesthetics and harmonious features evoking feelings of tranquility and balance, thus contributing to its overall value, the mask has two large earn on each side, pointing upwards with white patine inside, the small mouth, long nose, closed eyes with a slit at their bottom, large forehead which reflects the Baule aesthetic's emphasis on intellect and reverence. Its nuanced individuality, highly refined details, powerful presence, is especially appealing for its unusual depth that affords strong three-quarter views; some traces of sue, glossy by use. Certificate of origin and provenance.

“To articulate historians, the most consistent features of Baule art is a kind of peaceful containment. Faces tend to have downcast eyes and figures most often hold their ams against the body. […] Among their abundant art forms, the Baule people continue to place the greatest value on masks and figure sculptures, which remain the only sculptural art still widely used in Baule villages. While there is a difference between the Baule view of their objects and that of Western connoisseurs, there are points of agreement. Aesthetic appreciation is one: Baule artist, and individual owners of objects, certainly sometimes enjoy the beauty of these objects and the skill it took coproduce them. […]

Lit: Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. Susan M.Vogel 1997.

sold

Height: 42 cm (including stand)
Weight: 1070 g (including stand)