Baule Goli PASSPORT MASK, Cote d'Ivoire, African

Description

Type of Object
Miniature Masks
Country of Origin
Cote d'Ivoire
People
Baule
Materials
Wood, pigment
Approximate Age
20th Century
Height (in)
12
Width (in)
5
Depth (in)
4
Overall Condition
Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Damage/Repair
Crack on top
Baule Passport Mask , Goli kplekple
Additional Information:
Miniature masks often called "passport" masks are found among the various peoples of Liberia and Ivory Coast, including the Dan, Yacouba, Gio, Wenion (We, Guere), Geh, Loma, Konor, and Bete. They are rarely seen among the Baule people. This miniature is exceptionally well-carved. Masks like this are use as personal mask of initiated adult men and would be carried everywhere small "passport" masks in leather pouches when traveling, initiates would take passport with them in leather pouches. The masks are then used as protective spirits.  Passport masks serve to mark the passage of an initiate into the men's secret society and his elevation into the higher ranks. They may be presented at meetings of senior members of the men's society to indicate their right to be present and participate in the deliberations.
Diviner would recommend that small masks be given to children to wear to ward off evil witches or cure illnesses. Passport masks were kept on personal shrines when not in use. On shrines they would receive the offerings and prayers of their owners and in time would accumulate a rich patina of different substances that could obscure their features.
Most of these miniature masks mirror the shape and features of the larger masks that they were modeled after. Like the full-sized dance masks the smaller masks reflect the great diversity of styles and forms of the larger masks. The example  is in the shape of a Goli kplekple  mask found among the Baule people.
For more information, and a similar example, see Bacquart's "TRIBAL ARTS OF AFRICA."
DL0621
**138009**
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