Yaure — Côte d'Ivoire
Mid-20th century or earlier
Wood
Height: 18¼ in (46.4 cm); Width: 8½ in (21.6 cm)
Provenance: Constance McCormick Fearing, Santa Barbara, CA, before 1960
The Yaure are a subgroup of the Akan peoples of Côte d'Ivoire, and masks of this type were used in funerary ceremonies and other rites directed toward reconciling the Yu spirits — performances restricted from women and not to be photographed, marking the mask as an object of serious ritual authority. The long composed face, controlled carving, and vertical proportions are characteristic of Yaure mask traditions, where elegance, symmetry, and surface finish are central visual concerns. The dark glossy patina across the surface is consistent with age and ceremonial use.
The piece was in the collection of Constance McCormick Fearing, Santa Barbara, before 1960, a provenance that places it within the pre-1960 collecting period now recognized as significant for establishing early Western ownership of African works.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Yaure — Côte d'Ivoire
Mid-20th century or earlier
Wood
Height: 18¼ in (46.4 cm); Width: 8½ in (21.6 cm)
Provenance: Constance McCormick Fearing, Santa Barbara, CA, before 1960
The Yaure are a subgroup of the Akan peoples of Côte d'Ivoire, and masks of this type were used in funerary ceremonies and other rites directed toward reconciling the Yu spirits — performances restricted from women and not to be photographed, marking the mask as an object of serious ritual authority. The long composed face, controlled carving, and vertical proportions are characteristic of Yaure mask traditions, where elegance, symmetry, and surface finish are central visual concerns. The dark glossy patina across the surface is consistent with age and ceremonial use.
The piece was in the collection of Constance McCormick Fearing, Santa Barbara, before 1960, a provenance that places it within the pre-1960 collecting period now recognized as significant for establishing early Western ownership of African works.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
