Ndoma portrait mask Baule people Ivory Coast Wood H. 23 cm Provenance : Collected in situ by Mr Begué between 1931 and 1935 Among the Baule, the ndoma masks were generally intended to represent a personality of the community. They were used during great ceremonies and in particular on the occasion of the Mblo dances. This very elegant mask is a perfect example of the Baule aesthetic with a very elaborate three-shell headdress, small side ears and the traditional scarification marks on the face. The interior has no patina.

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