Face Mask

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Face Mask

early 1900s

Maker
Maker not recorded

Place / culture
Africa, West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, possibly Yaure-style carver

Materials
Wood, paint, and colorant

Dimensions
Overall: 31.7 cm (12 1/2 in.)

Look closely.

Central Côte d'Ivoire is characterized by cultural assimilation and adoption. Connections can be seen in masquerades and in composite mask forms. Here, masks often blend human and animal features, and the depiction of elephant traits is a recurring theme. Yaure peoples associated elephant masks with a cult called Dye, and they appear when important sacrifices have to be made.

The carver compressed the scale of both the elephant's ears and tusks in this mask.

Cleveland Museum of Art · 1971.296

Gift of Katherine C. White

Built on edition.pm