Ivory Coast/Dan. Guye ge" mask of runner in carved wood. Middle of the 20th century. H 35 X 12 cm including base. Running masks are worn by young people during competitions between groups from several neighboring villages. Originally, the purpose of these competitions was to train the champions of each group for war. The masked runner would be followed by an open-faced one, and if the latter caught up with the former, he would have the privilege of taking the precious artifact. Provenance: collection of Dr Smitz (BE).

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