{"id":2197,"date":"2012-04-06T08:04:13","date_gmt":"2012-04-06T06:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.daltonsomare.com\/?p=2197"},"modified":"2026-10-08T13:41:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T11:41:42","slug":"we-mask-ivory-coast","status":"publish","type":"opera","link":"https:\/\/www.daltonsomare.com\/en\/work-of-art\/we-mask-ivory-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Mask, We, Ivory Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Late 19th century
\nWood, iron, fiber and pigments
\n21 cm<\/p>\n

Provenance<\/h2>\n

Merton Simpson, New York
\nC. & H. Tanenbaum Collection, Toronto
\nJacques Germain, Montr\u00e9al
\nPrivate collection, Brussels<\/p>\n

Publications<\/h2>\n

Jacques Germain, Art Ancien de l\u2019Afrique Noire VI<\/em>, Montr\u00e9al, 2013, pp. 40\u201341<\/p>\n

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We art and masked traditions<\/h2>\n

The We mask from Ivory Coast belongs to the system of masked societies within African Art<\/strong><\/a> in West Africa, particularly in the Dan and We traditions. These masks play a central role in communal ceremonies, where dance and ritual performance allow the encounter between the human world and the spiritual dimension.<\/p>\n

Made of wood, iron, vegetal fibres and pigments, this mask is a significant example of African cumulative sculpture. Materials are layered over time through ritual use, creating a complex patina that bears witness to the history and function of the object.<\/p>\n

The mask represents a sacred beggar, an ambiguous figure combining male and female characteristics and belonging to We cosmology. During ceremonies, this entity appears to solicit offerings and to interact with the community through ritualized and theatrical behaviour.<\/p>\n

The surface has a deliberately grotesque and strongly expressive character, emphasizing the non-human nature of the figure. The eyes, reduced to narrow slits, help conceal the identity of the dancer and reinforce the spiritual character of the mask. The metal teeth and applied elements amplify the visual tension and supernatural nature of the work.<\/p>\n

The forehead is decorated with ritual scarifications and braids fixed with small metal elements, signs of belonging to a complex symbolic system. These details are not purely decorative, but participate in the construction of the ritual identity of the mask.<\/p>\n

Masks of this kind could be used for several generations, accumulating meaning and ritual value. The traces of wear and the stratified patina testify to prolonged use and to the active function of the object in community life.<\/p>\n

This late 19th-century We mask is an important testimony to African ritual art, in which matter, performance and spirituality merge. Works of this type are especially appreciated in international collecting for their expressive intensity and historical value.<\/p>\n