A Bete mask, Ivory Coast, Gagnoa region. Incl. stand.

The Bété people, who inhabit the Gagnoa region of central-western Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), are known for their powerful and striking masks that play vital roles in ritual, social, and political life. These masks are typically used in ceremonies related to conflict resolution, protection, ancestral veneration, and initiation rites. Among the Bété, masks are not merely decorative or theatrical; they are deeply spiritual objects believed to house potent forces or spirits when activated through ritual.

Bété masks are often characterized by their forceful, expressive, and sometimes fearsome forms. They commonly feature bold geometries, bulging eyes, protruding mouths with bared teeth, and dramatic horns or crests, symbolizing strength and spiritual power. Many are painted in dark hues—black, red, and white—with contrasting patterns that enhance their visual intensity during dance performances. The visual aggressiveness of these masks reflects their function: to impose order, deter malevolent forces, and communicate authority.
In ritual use, the masks are danced by initiates or elders, accompanied by drums and chants, often appearing suddenly from the forest to deliver messages or preside over judgments. These performances are not just symbolic; they are believed to be actual manifestations of ancestral or spiritual powers, which is why the identity of the dancer is carefully concealed and access to the masks is tightly controlled.

According to African art historian Jean-Paul Notué:
“The Bété mask is an agent of social regulation and spiritual embodiment, charged with ancestral presence and the authority to intervene in human affairs. Its sculptural aggression—wide eyes, flaring nostrils, jutting features—is not an aesthetic excess but a visual language of deterrence, signaling the mask's function as a guardian of moral order and a vehicle for supernatural force.”
(Masques africains: du rite à l’esthétique, Notué, 1993).

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Height: 49 cm incl. stand
Weight: 3,9 kg incl. stand