Lot 72
72
A YAURE MASK, of oval form with slit eyes under reddened lids, slender nose and small red mouth, an upholstry nail between the finely carved triple-arched brows, the coiffure outlined as three lobes, a trunk-like protrusion from the base of the chin flanked by whitened tusks, the inside of the ears also whitened, zigzag border over the pierced flange, glossy black patina

Details
A YAURE MASK, of oval form with slit eyes under reddened lids, slender nose and small red mouth, an upholstry nail between the finely carved triple-arched brows, the coiffure outlined as three lobes, a trunk-like protrusion from the base of the chin flanked by whitened tusks, the inside of the ears also whitened, zigzag border over the pierced flange, glossy black patina
40.5cm. high

Lot Essay

This gyè mask represents a swift animal fo the hunt, kla, with the ears echoing the form of the spoon used at sacrifices. The trunk and tusks of the elephant at the chin are symbolic of the power of gyè. Cf. a similar mask from the National Museum, Abidjan (Corps Sculptés, 1989, p.139, fig.96)

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