Origin:

MŻo/A/3567- 3569: Baule (Ivory Coast)

MŻo/A/3570: Kru-Grebo (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of Liberia)

Dating: second half of the 20th century

Dimensions:

MŻo/A/3567: height 41.0 cm, width 26.5 cm, depth 13.0 cm

MŻo/A/3568: height 24.0 cm, width 12.0 cm, depth 10.0 cm

MŻo/A/3569: height 43.0 cm, width 22.0 cm, depth 9.5 cm

MŻo/A/3570: height 49.0 cm, width 23.0 cm, depth 10.5 cm

Material: wood

Techniques: wood carving

Acquired:

MŻo/A/3567: Jacek Łapott, craft and art shop, Grand Bassam (Ivory Coast), 2001

MŻo/A/3568: Jacek Łapott, craft and art shop, Korhogo (Ivory Coast), 1996.

MŻo/A/3569: Jacek Łapott, craft and art shop, Korhogo (Ivory Coast), 1996.

MŻo/A/3570: Jacek Łapott, craft and art shop, Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast), 2001

Description:

The Baule people inhabit the central part of Côte d'Ivoire between the Komoe and Bandama rivers, around the towns of Bouaké and Yamoussoukro. They belong to group of Akan peoples. Their number is estimated at about 5 million people. During the cocoa boom of the 1960s-1970s, the Baule became one of the most widespread ethnic groups in the entire country. In the south, where they are among the largest growers of cocoa, rubber and coffee, they outnumber local ethnic groups. They are considered to be talented artists, Their the most interesting products are undoubtedly: wooden masks, sculptures, but also fabrics and goldsmiths products. Among the Baule, as in many other peoples, the social status of the artist and blacksmith is very high, they participate in the councils of elders on an equal footing with tribal dignitaries [Trojan 1973: 169-172].

The Grebo people live in Ivory Coast (where they are called Kroumen) and border areas in Liberia (Maryland and Grand Kru counties), they speak the language of the Kru family (hence the name Kru-Grebo), their number is estimated at about half a million people. Contacts with former slaves brought from the USA in the 19th century caused conflicts within the group. The Grebo are known for their carved wooden masks, which were worn in ceremonies of "mediation" or propitiation of spirits. White clay (kaolin) is applied to the participants of some ceremonies, which is supposed to symbolize contacts with the metaphysical world.

The anthropomorphic mask, signed MŻo/A/3567, shows a figure with small ears symmetrically placed on both sides of the face. Half-closed eyes with crescent-shaped openings. The mouth is narrow, open, inside there are teeth carved in wood. Straight nose. There are scarifications on the forehead and cheeks. On the left side of the figure there is a bas-relief figure of a woman, on the right - a man. Above the head – a representation of a turtle surrounded by two faces. At the bottom, an unidentified object (drum?). On the perimeter of the reverse there are holes to which a vegetable fibre is attached to hide the back of the head. Inside the mask there are traces of woodworking - hewing. Visible remains of polychrome.

The anthropomorphic mask, marked MŻo/A/3568, shows a character with a characteristic hairstyle. Representation polychromed in black and red. The ears are small, semicircular, symmetrically set. Semi-circular shaped eyes. Lips narrow, prominent. Straight nose with clearly defined wings. Marked, symmetrically arranged scarifications on the cheeks. On the perimeter of the reverse there are holes to which a vegetable fibre is attached to hide the back of the head. On the inside of the mask there are traces of woodworking - hewing.

The anthropomorphic mask, signed MŻo/A/3569, depicts a figure with a bird on its head (kalalo?). Polychrome representation. Eyes half-closed with crescent-shaped holes with outlined eyelashes. Mouth narrow, open, inside teeth carved in wood. The nose is humped with clearly defined wings. There are scarifications on the forehead of the figure. In the lower part, the figure's face is framed by the figure of a snake. On the perimeter in the upper part of the reverse, the character's hair made of colored cotton fabric and braided raffia is attached to the drilled round holes. Inside the mask there are traces of woodworking.

Anthropomorphic mask, signed MŻo/A/3570, depicting a figure with three pairs of eyes in the form of small cylinders. The representation is polychromed in black. No ears. Clearly defined prominent lips. Nose with a slight hump. Inside the mask there are traces of woodworking.

Bibliography:

 Guennguez André Afo, n.d., Art. de la Côte-D'Ivoire et de ses voisins, Paris: L'Harmattan.

Meyer Laure, 2001, Afrique Noire. Masques, sculptures, bijoux, Paris: Pierre Terrail.

John Picton, 1999, West Africa and the Guinea Coast, in: Tom Phillips (ed.) – Africa. The art of a continent, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel, pp. 327-477.

Trojan Alina, 1973, The Art of Black Africa, Warszawa: Wiedza Powszechna.

Edited by Lucjan Buchalik

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The purchase is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport as part of the National Institute of Museums and Collections' own program "Expansion of museum collections".