Africa | Ivory Coast
Baule Mask
Ivory Coast
Ndoma Mask
Baule
Ivory Coast
Early 20th century
Carved wood and pigments
Height : 34 cm – 13 ¼ in.
Provenance
Collection Thomas Alexander III, Saint Louis, USA
Collection Allen Davis, Santa Fe
Collection Ralph T. Coe, Arizona
Collection Adrian Schlag, Spain
Exhibition
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, « Connoisseurship and Good Pie: Ted Coe and Collecting Native Art », July 2015 – April 2016, Santa Fe, USA
Baule Mask 34 cm / Galerie Flak
Price on request
Among the Baule people, masks such as this one are traditionally conceived as portraits of renowned individuals. Known as Ndoma (meaning "double"), they appear only during major ceremonies and Mblo entertainment dances.
According to scholar Susan Vogel (see Baule: African Art Western Eyes, 1997), the public appearances of these masks are intentionally brief and rare, a practice designed to preserve the power of their beauty.
The present mask embodies an ideal of perfection, following "the canons of human beauty among the Baule, from both an aesthetic and a moral standpoint" (Boyer, Baule: Visions of Africa Series, 2008). Through its balanced features, it illustrates the profound sophistication of the classical Baule aesthetic, seamlessly blending strength and grace.
According to scholar Susan Vogel (see Baule: African Art Western Eyes, 1997), the public appearances of these masks are intentionally brief and rare, a practice designed to preserve the power of their beauty.
The present mask embodies an ideal of perfection, following "the canons of human beauty among the Baule, from both an aesthetic and a moral standpoint" (Boyer, Baule: Visions of Africa Series, 2008). Through its balanced features, it illustrates the profound sophistication of the classical Baule aesthetic, seamlessly blending strength and grace.
Documentation
Exhibition
2015, July – 2016, April.
Ted Coe and Collecting Native Art.
Organized by the Ralph T. Coe Foundation.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Santa Fe
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