"anoman" Mask, Yahouré People, Ivory Coast

Mask with a delicate face surrounded by a serrated collar ending at the bottom with a goatee. The mouth is forward and forms a circle. The eyes are half-closed as a sign of respect and are framed by eyebrows forming two semicircles that meet at the start of a thin, elongated nose. Scarifications adorn the cheeks and the corners of the eyes. A finely chiseled hairstyle made in three arcs of circles completes this face. A standing bird surmounts the mask.
This mask called "Anoman" is used in the dance of the "Dje". It is the fourth to appear out of the seven dancing masks. It originally appeared around the deceased to purify them. It also acts as an intermediary between the visible and invisible worlds.
Wood with a patina of use (some losses at the collar, crack).
Height: 41 cm
Yahouré people, Ivory Coast.
Circa 1930/1940
Sold with its base