Moon Mask, Baoulé, Ivory Coast

Moon mask appearing during the celebrations of "Gbagba" or the dances of women's funerals. It is not linked to a cult of the stars as we have long believed but, it intervenes rather as a preamble, it introduces the other masks starting with the animal masks. It makes the link with natural phenomena and living beings, visible or invisible between the palpable and the impalpable. It is a sign. To concretize this abstract phenomenon, the Baoulé humanized the moon. This is how we find in the mask that I presented to you here, a stylized face inscribed in a circle. The lines are very graphic which differs from the portrait masks which are more realistic. The forehead is high, the eyebrows are represented in semicircles joining by a dotted horizontal line. The eyelids are half-closed and highlighted with white. The nose is straight and draws the eye towards a small mouth whose lips are projected forward in a position that makes us think of someone whistling. This round mouth echoes the roundness of the face. The interior has been painted white and makes the connection with the eyes. Finally, the mask is surrounded by a serrated frieze that reminds us of the lunar rays. The general appearance is smooth and lacquered in black. These moon masks are quite rare in collections and are a beautiful testimony to the simplification of which the Baoulé are capable.
Baoulé people, Ivory Coast.
Rubber wood, patina of use and very beautiful internal patina.
Height: 27 cm
First half of the 20th century
Provenance: Norbert Boutet collection
sold with its base