Lot 164
**Originally Listed At $1200**
West Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A remarkably massive wooden mask of discoid form capped by a tremendous pair of curved horns, each deeply incised with several parallel ridges up to their gray-painted tips. Enveloped in black paint with blue, red, and white features, the intimidating vizard presents teardrop-shaped eyes with projecting pupils, a rectangular mouth held open to expose a top row of tab-shaped teeth, and a pair of petite, petaloid ears. A pair of grooved, arched striations adorn the brow, while an elevate square of wood and dissipated earth is featured on the verso. Size: 26" W x 42" H (66 cm x 106.7 cm)
Known as kplekple, this mask is part of a family of masks called Goli. Kplekple are considered the children of the family, with the black masks representing daughters named kplekple bla and the red representing sons named kplekple yaswa. Adopted in the late 19th and early 20th century from the neighboring Wan peoples, the Goli are considered intercessors with supernatural forces for good or sometimes, if not appeased, evil. They traditionally appear at times of great strife, such as during epidemics or at funerals. The kplekple mask is worn by a young man dressed in goatskin who performs a spirited dance to music at dawn as well as during the early afternoon and evening.
Kplekple masks can range in height from less than 15 inches to more than 40, like this example. A mask of similar scale can be found at the Minneapolis Museum of Art under accession number 62.37. Another was sold by Sotheby's New York on May 16th, 2013 for $56,250 (lot 122, African/Oceanic, Sale Number: NO8994).
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection
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#168210
- Condition: Repair to proper left eye. Old repairs to both sides with break lines visible near edges. Some minor chips to peripheries. Expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigments. Metal wire structure on verso allowing piece to be suspended for display.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |