Masks
Wood mask, 'Kind Love'
Leaning forward with words of wisdom, a bird of mystic origin crowns this sese wood mask. For the Guro people of the Ivory Coast, this mask symbolizes kindness and love. Salihu Ibrahim uses manual tools to carve this mask with the detailed care that characterizes Guro artistry.
Wood mask, 'Bird God's Promise'
Deeply spiritual, this mask hails the Bird God, for when he arrives he brings the promise of a good harvest as well as an abundance of food. This belief is upheld by the Guro people of the Ivory coast, and is beautifully replicated by Salihu Ibrahim.
Wood mask, 'Dan Mother'
She seems to speak. Beneath arched brows, her wide eyes emanate love and wisdom, while her serene features possess a quiet joy. She represents a mother from the Dan people of Dangere in the Ivory Coast. Victor Yao Delanyo carves a mask used to settle strife within the tribe.
Ivorian mask, 'Harvest Bird'
A bird with a long bill is perched atop a solemn mask adorned with Senufo artistry. The Senufo people are farmers living in Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Ivorian mask, 'Grief I'
Eyes downcast, this sese wood mask recalls the customs of the Senufo people from Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The mask is worn during funerals, and it is believed to restore order in the community when distraught by grief.
Wood mask, 'A Cry for Peace'
The Dan tribe primarily lives in the Ivory Coast and Liberia, where they arrived in the 8th Century B.C. This mask by Robert Nortey and the artists of Robandy Limited reflects their traditional artistry, characterized by solemn, elongated features.
Wood mask, 'King Who Loves Peace'
Horns crown the narrow face of an African king. Carved with only hand tools from naturally-dried sese wood, the piece slopes dramatically from a smooth forehead to a pointed chin; a slim nose elongates the visage.
Wood mask, 'Underworld Spirit'
Crowned by a coiling serpent, a smooth visage surges from an ornate oval. The three-dimensional features boast blue tribal marks and narrow eyes. Working in polished sese wood, Abdul Karim Star sculpts an elongated mask to portray a Guro personage.
Wood mask, 'Baoule Spirit Dance'
Seemingly surprised, a watchful personage bares its teeth. Horns crown the circular mask, and intricate geometric patterns surround it. Depicted in hand-carved sese wood, a minor spirit masks young men dancers from the Baoule tribe of the Ivory Coast.
Ivorian mask, 'Grief II'
Eyes downcast, this sese wood mask recalls the customs of the Senufo people from Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The mask is worn during funerals, and it is believed to restore order in the community when distraught by grief.