A Senufo Kpelie Mask...

Description

A Senufo Kpelie Mask
Cote d'Ivoire, c. early 20th century

This refined and highly ornamented Kpelie mask exemplifies the artistry of Senufo carvers in northern Côte d'Ivoire. Carved from hardwood, the elongated oval face is framed by prominent side tabs and points, with linear and curvilinear parallel grooves. A pair of inward curving horns at forehead. Rising above the crown is a carefully rendered chameleon, its arched body forming a dynamic crest symbolizing transformation and regenerative power. Along the lower edge of the mask, pendant legs extend outward, further enriching the sculptural composition. The surface is covered with a somewhat dusty, blackened patina, the result of ritual use and long handling. In very good condition, surface dusty, high points rubbed, small loss on the proper left back perimeter. With a stand.

Kpelie masks, often danced by the Poro society, appear in funerary rites and initiations, where they honor nature spirits and mediate between the world of the living and the ancestors. Ornamented examples such as this - with flanges, animal figures, and complex superstructures - are reserved for senior carvers and important ritual contexts, embodying both aesthetic refinement and layered symbolic meaning. The presence of the chameleon, in particular, underscores themes of adaptability and the mediation between human and spirit realms.

Note: In his Certificate of Authenticity dated September 5, 2015, Lucas Ratton commented: This mask has a particular expression of interiority. It is one of the very fine examples known.

Provenance:
A Private Collection, France
Galerie Ratton-Hourde, Paris, France
Lucas Ratton, Paris, France
Berz Gallery of African Art, San Francisco, CA

Publication(s):
Expo cat.: "Duo", text by Raoul Lehuard, Paris: Galerie Ratton, 2012:30-31
Expo cat.: "The Beautiful Lady 'Kpellie'. An Exhibition of 21 Masks of the Senufo Tribe of Côte d'Ivoire", Polanco Distrito Federal, Mexico, 2016: #9

Exhibition(s):
Paris, France, "Duo", Paris: Galerie Ratton, June 2012
Paris, France: "The Beautiful Lady 'Kpellie'. An Exhibition of 21 Masks of the Senufo Tribe of Côte d'Ivoire", Berz Gallery, 6-11 September 2016 (during Parcours des Mondes)

Accompanied by Certificates of Authenticity from Lucas Ratton, Paris, dated September 5, 2015, and Andrew Berz, Sausalito, CA, dated June 22, 2013

Height: 15 inches



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