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Guere Mask from Cote d'Ivoire Africa with Sotheby's Sticker

Offered by: Tishu

Description
A Guere wood mask with paint and fiber remnant from We people displayed on a metal stand. The We people (also known as the Krahn or Guere) are an indigenous African people that inhabit areas in nowadays eastern Liberia and western Côte d'Ivoire. Their material culture shares many aspects with the neighboring Dan tribe. Like the Dans, the We use a wide variety of masquerades, which hold important regulatory position within their small, egalitarian communities. Masks are owned by families and used by individual lineage members in contexts of social control, ritual ceremony and entertainment. This type of Guere mask, however, has a distinct fearsome character. The ferocious design with jagged facial expression, bulging tubular eyes are intended for use in mediations between community members, as visual aids during moral lessons, as well as forms of entertainment. By portraying the more frightening nature of the animal, the mask is viewed as powerful and may have been used as part of social control methods prior to the introduction of Western law systems during the colonial period.
The mask on offer, based on our examination, appears to be an original one that was used natively instead of reproduction made for the tourist market. The surface presents apparently genuine patina consistent with use. The red paint that highlights the eyes and gapping mouth also appear original. There are small losses flanking the nose ridge by the eyes, extensive surface accretion, remain of some fiber tassels. The back of the mask reveals chisel marks from hand tools and importantly, stain marks that were likely from repetitive contacts from the nose of the wearer.
The mask is 9" in height, and it retains an old Sotheby’s catalog number #58 on the base. We couldn't substantiate this label as there isn't a sale no, date or year on the label.

More Information

Origin:	Ivory Coast
Period:	1920-1949
Materials:	wood, fiber, steel
Condition:	Good. Wear and patina overall, small losses and crack lines and dings, surface substance accretion. Chisel marks from hand tools and stain mask from apparently use. Residual fiber on one side. Sotheby's sticker under the base.
Creation Date:	20th century
Styles / Movements:	Tribal, African, Traditional
Patterns:	Handmade
Incollect Reference #:	747859

Dimensions

W.	5.5 in;	H.	15 in;	D.	5.5 in;
W.	13.97 cm;	H.	38.1 cm;	D.	13.97 cm;

Message from Seller:

Our collection ranges from Neolithic Art to 20th century collectible art and design. It spans 5000 thousand years of history and crosses many civilizations and cultures. Our aesthetic strongholds are Mid-century studio design, Japanese and Korean art, Asian Textile Art and Contemporary Aboriginal Art. The diversity is united behind our singular vision to seek for timeless beauty and driven purely by our passion