West Africa, Ivory Coast, Guro culture, ca. mid-20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden face mask of a relatively ovoid form with a rounded rectangular backing, all covered with light and dark brown pigment. The intriguing visage features a pair of slit-form eye holes beneath sweeping brows and petite ears, a slender nose with narrow nostrils, a smiling mouth filled with incised teeth, and a tapered mandible, all beneath an incised, backswept coiffure. Atop the hairdo is a V-shaped element with a central, white-painted object that perhaps represents a full moon or the sun. Size: 5.1" W x 12" H (13 cm x 30.5 cm); 14.625" H (37.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Florida, USA collection
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#169123
Condition
Elements atop head attached with adhesive residue along attachment points. Small chips to face, peripheries, and elements atop head, with light fading to pigment, and minor encrustations within some recessed areas. Nice remains of pigment throughout.