Yaure Mask with Serrated Beard Côte d'Ivoire

This mask has a much elaborated coiffure typical of the Baule and Yaure. The facial features of masks from these two groups are remarkably similar: crescent eyes, pursed lips and heart-shaped face. But this example is more likely from the Yaure because of its beard with serrated edges surrounding the lower border of the face.

The Yaure are a smallish Akan culture, closely related to the Baule and Guro. Their masks, like the one offered here, are similar in style to those of both groups, but usually have a few defining elements to aid in their identification. The Yaure used two types of masks, those that were black and those that were brightly painted. The darker ones were used in funeral processions, and are highly-prized by collectors for their stark beauty. Known as "lo" masks, their purpose was to appease supernatural powers known as "yu." The "yu," though vital for life, could also destroy, so veneration was important to ease the understandable social and spiritual tension present after the death of an elder. Masks could not be seen by women, and were treated with caution even by the men who danced them. The ritual significance of masks in the Ivory-Coast has been diminished by Western influence and civil unrest, but are still used for special occasions.

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