Guro — Côte d'Ivoire
Early 20th century
Wood
Provenance: Dr. Alberto Scalettaris, Turin, Italy
This mask depicts a composed female face surmounted by two standing figures — one male, one female — arranged as a vertical group above the brow. Among the Guro of central Côte d'Ivoire, masks of this type combine refined facial carving with symbolic superstructure, where the figures above the face extend the mask's meaning beyond personal identity into the register of social and ceremonial relationships. The elongated face, symmetrical features, and polished surface reflect the Guro emphasis on formal elegance as an expression of idealized presence.
The raised figural group gives the mask a strong vertical structure that distinguishes it within the Guro masking tradition. The piece was formerly in the collection of Dr. Alberto Scalettaris of Turin, a European collector active in the African art market through Paris and London during the latter decades of the twentieth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Guro — Côte d'Ivoire
Early 20th century
Wood
Provenance: Dr. Alberto Scalettaris, Turin, Italy
This mask depicts a composed female face surmounted by two standing figures — one male, one female — arranged as a vertical group above the brow. Among the Guro of central Côte d'Ivoire, masks of this type combine refined facial carving with symbolic superstructure, where the figures above the face extend the mask's meaning beyond personal identity into the register of social and ceremonial relationships. The elongated face, symmetrical features, and polished surface reflect the Guro emphasis on formal elegance as an expression of idealized presence.
The raised figural group gives the mask a strong vertical structure that distinguishes it within the Guro masking tradition. The piece was formerly in the collection of Dr. Alberto Scalettaris of Turin, a European collector active in the African art market through Paris and London during the latter decades of the twentieth century.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
