GURO, Ivory Coast. Mask...

Description

GURO, Ivory Coast
Mask

Wood, pigments

The Mande-speaking Guro are forest zone subsistence farmers whose decentralized social and political system is controlled by the male Je or Dye society. Its members use masks, Zewe, to resolve social and political conflicts, control diplomatic relations and oversee decisions about war.

Zewe masks, like the present example, may represent the chief or his spokesman. They may not be seen by women. A lustrous black surface with details such as the eyes and mouth picked out in white, while other bright pigment colors are used with restraint typifies older masks like the present one. Some Zewe masks feature very long animal horns rising above a human face. These horns usually number two to four; a single very long horn is rare and produces a dramatic and elegant effect.

Guro masks have certainly influenced those of their Baule neighbors, but may be distinguished from them by their dramatic profiles, which have convex foreheads above receding eye areas and protruding mouths, chins or jaws. All of these features are rendered with great restraint and a smooth, usually black surface. Baule masks tend to be flat in profile. Guro masks, such as the present example, also usually have a flange around the mask edges for the attachment of the costume worn by the dancer. The flange is invisible in use.

Provenance:
From the Estate of Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg

Read more about the Liz Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg Collection here.

Sotheby's, African and Oceanic Art, November 15, 2002, lot 12
B. Kernerman, Toronto, December 14, 1971

Height: 43 inches


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