Mémoire d’Afrique — Ref. 32

Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32

Photo 1 — Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32
Photo 2 — Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32
Photo 3 — Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32
Photo 4 — Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32
Photo 5 — Senufo Kpelié mask — Sénoufo, Côte d’Ivoire — African tribal art — Ref. 32
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Description

Carved in wood, with a natural dark patina and marked wear from use. This double-faced mask is characteristic of the funerary and initiatory rituals of the Poro society, embodying ancestral spirits. It displays elongated features, half-closed eyelids, a gridded mouth and raised frontal scarifications. The complex headdress consists of spiralled horns, one of which is broken, as well as a triangular crenellated element at the top. Carved lateral elements accentuate the symmetry of the mask.

Technical details

Type of piece
Masque
Category
Masks
Ethnic group
Sénoufo
Country
Côte d’Ivoire
Materials
wood
Dimensions
H 62 × W 18 × D 33 cm
Weight
3,13 kg
Estimated dating
second half 20th c.
Restoration / losses
One horn broken
Laboratory test
Not tested
Reference
32