Anthropomorphic mask with zoomorphic elements

Title of the work: Anthropomorphic mask with zoomorphic elements
Population: Baule (modern reworking with syncretic influences)
Cultural area: Ivory Coast
Materials: Carved wood with a gold/burnished patina
Date: 20th century
Dimensions: h. 30 x 15 x 7 cm
Cultural and symbolic context: In the Baule tradition, masks play a central role in dance ceremonies (goli masks, mblo masks for portraits). They served to entertain, protect, but also to represent ancestral figures or ideals of beauty. The added elements in this version (horns, lateral triangles) amplify the apotropaic dimension, evoking strength and spiritual protection. The stylistic hybridization indicates that this is likely a 20th-century production intended for both the ritual and collectors’ markets.
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