Baoule, Mblo mask
- TitleBaoule ( Baule ) mask , Ivory Coast, Africa
- Artistunknown
- LocationIvory Coast
- Dateearly 20th century
- Size40cm (L) x 19cm (W)
- Price$2400 AUD
The Baule people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Ivory Coast, have had a profound impact on the country’s history. They resisted French colonization longer than any other West African group, preserving their cultural traditions and beliefs despite prolonged interaction with European administrators, traders, and missionaries.
Baule society was marked by strong individualism, tolerance, and a dislike for rigid political systems. Unlike many other groups, they lacked formal age classes, initiation rites, priests, or hierarchical associations. Villages operated independently under councils of elders, with decisions made collectively by all members, including slaves, fostering an egalitarian structure. Baule villages typically consist of compact wards or quarters, further divided into family compounds featuring rectangular homes arranged around courtyards along the main street.
Agriculture is central to Baule life. Staples include yams and maize, supplemented by fish and game, while coffee, cocoa, and kola nuts serve as key cash crops. Ancestor worship plays a significant role in their spiritual practices, with ceremonial stools representing ancestral spirits. Baule society is organized around matrilineal lineages, though paternal descent is also acknowledged for its influence on spiritual and personal traits. Their belief system includes Nyamien, an unreachable creator god, and Asie, the earth god who governs humans and animals. Spirits known as amuen are thought to possess supernatural powers, and their religion centers on the immortality of the soul.
Baule art is renowned for its sophistication and variety, with sculptors choosing the craft as a personal vocation. Their wooden sculptures and masks are deeply connected to the spiritual realm. Baule masks are intricately designed, featuring detailed hairstyles or coiffures and are associated with specific dances like the gba gba, bonu amuen, mblo, and goli. These masks, exclusively worn by men, do not depict ancestors but serve ceremonial and entertainment purposes.
The mblo is a performance genre featuring face masks used in skits and solo dances. Among the oldest Baule art forms, mblo masks often represent known individuals and reflect the essence of Baule aesthetics. They feature lustrous, curved surfaces symbolizing vitality and health, with intricate details like coiffures and scarifications denoting beauty and refinement. The introspective expressions, high foreheads, and downcast eyes embody an idealized form of human elegance and a commitment to bringing joy and pleasure to others.
Provenance :
Mrs Mueller : Cannes, France
Alphonso Patina (a Dealer who lived in Florida USA now Deceased )
Mina and Ed Smith bought from above in 1992
The Baule people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Ivory Coast, have had a profound impact on the country’s history. They resisted French colonization longer than any other West African group, preserving their cultural traditions and beliefs despite prolonged interaction with European administrators, traders, and missionaries.
Baule society was marked by strong individualism, tolerance, and a dislike for rigid political systems. Unlike many other groups, they lacked formal age classes, initiation rites, priests, or hierarchical associations. Villages operated independently under councils of elders, with decisions made collectively by all members, including slaves, fostering an egalitarian structure. Baule villages typically consist of compact wards or quarters, further divided into family compounds featuring rectangular homes arranged around courtyards along the main street.
Agriculture is central to Baule life. Staples include yams and maize, supplemented by fish and game, while coffee, cocoa, and kola nuts serve as key cash crops. Ancestor worship plays a significant role in their spiritual practices, with ceremonial stools representing ancestral spirits. Baule society is organized around matrilineal lineages, though paternal descent is also acknowledged for its influence on spiritual and personal traits. Their belief system includes Nyamien, an unreachable creator god, and Asie, the earth god who governs humans and animals. Spirits known as amuen are thought to possess supernatural powers, and their religion centers on the immortality of the soul.
Baule art is renowned for its sophistication and variety, with sculptors choosing the craft as a personal vocation. Their wooden sculptures and masks are deeply connected to the spiritual realm. Baule masks are intricately designed, featuring detailed hairstyles or coiffures and are associated with specific dances like the gba gba, bonu amuen, mblo, and goli. These masks, exclusively worn by men, do not depict ancestors but serve ceremonial and entertainment purposes.
The mblo is a performance genre featuring face masks used in skits and solo dances. Among the oldest Baule art forms, mblo masks often represent known individuals and reflect the essence of Baule aesthetics. They feature lustrous, curved surfaces symbolizing vitality and health, with intricate details like coiffures and scarifications denoting beauty and refinement. The introspective expressions, high foreheads, and downcast eyes embody an idealized form of human elegance and a commitment to bringing joy and pleasure to others.
Provenance :
Mrs Mueller : Cannes, France
Alphonso Patina (a Dealer who lived in Florida USA now Deceased )
Mina and Ed Smith bought from above in 1992
The mblo is a performance genre featuring face masks used in skits and solo dances. Among the oldest Baule art forms, mblo masks often represent known individuals and reflect the essence of Baule aesthetics.