19 - Ndoma-style dance mask

Ndoma-style dance mask Wood, plant fibers, brass, and fabric; original reddish-brown and honey-colored patina, glossy in places; signs of wear and age. Baoulé, Ivory Coast 36 × 16 cm. The brow ridges form two gentle curves that extend into the slender bridge of the nose. Beneath the unobstructed forehead, the coffee-bean-shaped eyes lend the face an inner gentleness. Raised scarification patterns adorn the temples and cheeks, while a short goatee accentuates the chin. Above the finely striated headdress, two horns meet in a sweeping arc, crowning this harmoniously proportioned composition. This example resembles the Ndoma portrait masks, which pay homage to a person’s virtues during mblo dance performances. The restrained modeling, the meticulous hairstyle, and the downcast gaze convey an ideal of beauty in which the refinement of the features also expresses moral qualities. General Bibliography Susan Mullin Vogel, *Baule: African Art, Western Eyes*, Yale University Press, 1997.