Wé Guéré mask
€380.00
The Art of Traditional Masks among the Guéré of Ivory Coast
The Guéré (or Wé), a people of southwestern Ivory Coast, are renowned for their powerful and expressive masks with a raw and awe-inspiring aesthetic. These anthropomorphic-zoomorphic masks, often combining elements of horn, teeth, and fabric, embody the spirits of the forest and are used in initiation rites, funerals, and conflict resolution.
Worn with costumes made of raffia and other fibers, they dance to the sound of drums to restore social order and communicate with the unseen world.
In Ivory Coast, the use of masks is also widespread among the Dan, Baoulé, and Senufo peoples. Each ethnic group has its own style: Guéré masks are distinguished by their fantastical faces, bulging eyes, and powerful emotions, symbols of spiritual strength and ancestral protection.
Shipping fees
02583
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 34 cm (48 cm with support)
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, accessories
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal art collection France
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Vintage
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The Art of Traditional Masks among the Guéré of Ivory Coast
The Guéré (or Wé), a people of southwestern Ivory Coast, are renowned for their powerful and expressive masks with a raw and awe-inspiring aesthetic. These anthropomorphic-zoomorphic masks, often combining elements of horn, teeth, and fabric, embody the spirits of the forest and are used in initiation rites, funerals, and conflict resolution.
Worn with costumes made of raffia and other fibers, they dance to the sound of drums to restore social order and communicate with the unseen world.
In Ivory Coast, the use of masks is also widespread among the Dan, Baoulé, and Senufo peoples. Each ethnic group has its own style: Guéré masks are distinguished by their fantastical faces, bulging eyes, and powerful emotions, symbols of spiritual strength and ancestral protection.