Bete Mask
€500.00
Bété Mask – Côte d’Ivoire
This Bété mask from Côte d’Ivoire stands out for its striking presence and highly rigorous formal conception. Elongated and narrow in format, it features a strongly verticalized face that conveys a sense of gravity and concentration. The surface of the wood, deeply patinated through time and ritual use, reveals a dense, dark, and vibrant material, bearing witness to a long ceremonial history.
The most distinctive feature of this mask lies in the multiple elements inlaid across the entire surface of the face. These insertions, arranged in a controlled and deliberate manner, give the work a dimension that is both aggressive and protective. Within Bété traditions, this type of ornamentation refers to notions of power, resilience, and symbolic charge, reinforcing the mask’s deterrent character and ritual effectiveness.
The hairstyle, carved in volume and encircled by a thick braided band, crowns the face and enhances the overall balance of the composition. The narrow, pierced eyes and the strongly stylized mouth contribute to a tense, almost threatening expression, typical of masks intended to intervene in contexts of social control, justice, or communal protection.
This type of mask was used during public ceremonies, regulatory rituals, or coercive interventions, in which the appearance of the masked figure embodied a temporary supernatural authority. The goal was not naturalistic representation, but emotional impact and the visible manifestation of an active force.
Rare in its typology and remarkable for the quality of its preservation, this Bété mask constitutes a powerful testimony to the formal creativity and symbolic depth of early African art. Its radical aesthetic, authentic patina, and intact character make it a choice piece for any collector seeking a strong, demanding, and historically coherent work.
More than a sculpted object, this mask is a presence—a materialization of authority and ritual memory—capable of engaging with the contemporary gaze while fully retaining its original power.
02613
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 25 cm (40 cm with support)
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, accessories
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection France
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Excellent
Bété Mask – Côte d’Ivoire
This Bété mask from Côte d’Ivoire stands out for its striking presence and highly rigorous formal conception. Elongated and narrow in format, it features a strongly verticalized face that conveys a sense of gravity and concentration. The surface of the wood, deeply patinated through time and ritual use, reveals a dense, dark, and vibrant material, bearing witness to a long ceremonial history.
The most distinctive feature of this mask lies in the multiple elements inlaid across the entire surface of the face. These insertions, arranged in a controlled and deliberate manner, give the work a dimension that is both aggressive and protective. Within Bété traditions, this type of ornamentation refers to notions of power, resilience, and symbolic charge, reinforcing the mask’s deterrent character and ritual effectiveness.
The hairstyle, carved in volume and encircled by a thick braided band, crowns the face and enhances the overall balance of the composition. The narrow, pierced eyes and the strongly stylized mouth contribute to a tense, almost threatening expression, typical of masks intended to intervene in contexts of social control, justice, or communal protection.
This type of mask was used during public ceremonies, regulatory rituals, or coercive interventions, in which the appearance of the masked figure embodied a temporary supernatural authority. The goal was not naturalistic representation, but emotional impact and the visible manifestation of an active force.
Rare in its typology and remarkable for the quality of its preservation, this Bété mask constitutes a powerful testimony to the formal creativity and symbolic depth of early African art. Its radical aesthetic, authentic patina, and intact character make it a choice piece for any collector seeking a strong, demanding, and historically coherent work.
More than a sculpted object, this mask is a presence—a materialization of authority and ritual memory—capable of engaging with the contemporary gaze while fully retaining its original power.