Ceremonial mask - Yaure - Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire Yaouré Bois Height: 350mm Width: 145mm Depth: 80mm Delivered without pedestal This carved wooden mask testifies to the exceptional refinement of Yaouré (Yauré) statuary from Côte d'Ivoire. Although it shares a strong stylistic and geographical kinship with Baoulé art, certain graphic conventions specific to Yaouré workshops confirm its belonging to the Yaouré workshops. 1. Geographical and cultural origin - The Yaouré people: This small-­scale group lives in the central region of Côte d'Ivoire, surrounded by the Baoulé to the east and the Guro to the west. - An art of transition: Yaouré statuary achieves a remarkable aesthetic synthesis, borrowing the softness and roundness of Baoulé faces while associating with it the geometric rigor and the straight lines of Guro art. 2. Ritual use and spiritual function This piece is intimately linked to religious beliefs and to the male mask societies of the Je (or Gye) universe. - Reestablishment of communal balance: These masks appear mainly during funeral ceremonies of notable persons or elders of the community. Their function is to purify the village, to drive away the negative influences born of death, and to guide the soul of the deceased peacefully toward the realm of the ancestors. - A strict prohibition: Because of the powerful spiritual force they embody during rituals, these masks must traditionally not be seen by women, under penalty of mystical sanctions or fertility troubles. - The animal attribute: The presence of horns symbolizes the alliance between the world of humans and the forces of the bush, combining human wisdom with the brute power of nature. 3. Style characteristics Several anatomical and plastic criteria characterize Yaouré sculptors' work on this piece: - The serrated border: This is the emblematic visual signature of this ethnicity. The entire circumference of the face is outlined by a sawtooth or zigzag frieze. This crenellated collar subtly isolates the sacred face from the rest of the structure. - The headdress and the horns: The top of the head is crowned by a pair of mammal horns (evoking an antelope or a bovine), one of which shows signs of wear. The high forehead is enhanced by a tripartite coiffure adorned with fine geometric triangle engravings. - The inward expression: The eyebrows form two perfect, continuous arches that converge toward a long, extremely narrow nose. The almond-shaped eyes, almost closed, grant the expression a gravity and total serenity. - The lip appendage and the back: Under the mouth unfolds a double sculpted projection simulating a traditional knotted beard. At the rear, the hollowing is deep and regular, equipped with fine horizontal vision slits and marked by a patina of internal use indicating successive ritual portages. Packages are quickly dispatched from Monday to Saturday with tracking number. Delivery in France in 1 to 3 days and in Europe in 2 to 5 days. Worldwide delivery. We speak english. Mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano

Estimate:£125.46

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