NAK 0613-13 – SOLD

Baule, Goli/Kple Kple Mask, Ivory Coast, Africa

H: 51 cm (20,1″), W: 27 cm (10,6″)

This is a very nicely carved mask, called kple kple, a specific type of mask from the Baule people. Common features of the kple kple disc shaped facemasks include antelope shaped horns, round eyes, rectangular shaped mouth and the geometric designs. The red face is considered female and the dark/black face is considered male.

Kple kple masks are one of the great abstractions in African art. They are used in ceremonies related to the Goli festival of the Baule people. The Goli festival is a daylong spectacle that involves the whole village. It is performed during funerals as well as commemorative occasions and agricultural events. The Goli masquerades involve three rituals during the day; dawn, afternoon and after sunset. Kple kple masks appear at dawn and again briefly during the evening to announce the arrival of Goli Glin, a zoomorphic figure or a kpwan, an anthropomorphic figure. The mask wearer mediates with supernatural forces during the ritual, which have a positive influence on the village people. During the festivities, the young mask wearers are often draped in goatskin that covers their back along with a raffia skirt. The mask is attached to the costume with vegetable fibers.

Click here for more information about the Baule people

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