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Splendid Kpélié Mask, Sénoufo population, Ivory Coast 1950

Offered by: Avant-Garde Gallery by Pierre Bosche

Description
The Senoufo people inhabit areas spanning southern Mali, southern Burkina Faso, and northern Côte d'Ivoire. They are organized around the poro, a male initiation system where young boys learn their social and religious roles in sacred woods, away from the village. Initiation ceremonies can last up to twenty-one years, and ritual objects are carved by specialized artisans.

The Kpélié mask is used during initiation rites, funerals, and harvest ceremonies. Interpretations of these masks vary. Some researchers believe they evoke fear during initiations, while others see them as a spiritual link, symbolizing the precariousness of the human condition. The masks may also feature metallic elements, a characteristic shared with the masks of the Bamana and Marka peoples.

- Wood covered with copper plates
- Circa 1950
- Dimensions : H : 36.5 cm L : 14.5 cm/H : 14.17 in L : 5.51 in

More Information

Origin:	Ivory Coast
Period:	1950-1979
Materials:	wood covered with copper, cowry shells
Condition:	Good.
Creation Date:	1950
Styles / Movements:	Folk Art, Traditional
Patterns:	Textured
Dealer Reference #:	344
Incollect Reference #:	701050

Dimensions

W.	5.71 in;	H.	14.37 in;	D.	3.94 in;
W.	14.5 cm;	H.	36.5 cm;	D.	10 cm;

Message from Seller:

Avant-Garde Gallery is dedicated to the XXth Century Decorative Arts. We are an antique dealer which offers works of art by artists who shaped the XXth century and our present. The artists on displays embodied the Avant-garde and keep surprising us by their modernity. They are painters, poster designers, designers, cabinet makers, sculptors, ceramists, silversmiths or photographers. P: 3361118125611 E: pierre.bosche@gmail.com