Dance mask - Wood - Masque - Yaure - West Africa - 50 cm

Traditional Yaure masks are among the most refined pieces of African art. Within the Yaure artistic corpus we can find the stylistic influence of two neighbouring ethnic groups: the Baule and the Guro. However, Yaure pieces remain very original and have their own specific features. These include a frontal headdress with a finely engraved border, symbolising wealth. This piece also presents very beautiful symmetry. The eyebrows in the form of circular arcs meet and extend into a nose ridge. Yaure masks are also famous for their crest ornaments. In this case, we have the representation of four birds perched forwards. The headdress is divided into three lobes characteristic of the Yaure, the mask presents a wonderful patina, it is used in ceremonies of rejoicing, marriage or celebrating the end of harvesting.