Guere people, Liberia or Ivory Coast

12.5 inches, painted wood, fiber brush

These masks are sometimes referred to as war masks because of their fierce look. Actually, they are worn primarily during funerals and in a detective capacity to single out guilty persons. This is according to Jean-Baptiste Bacquart in his book The Tribal Arts of Africa. The staring eyes, nose spike and all those nasty teeth are very scary, especially at this large size. Sometimes shells, bells, nails and other hardware are attached. This particular mask is new and was made for sale.  Antiqued on the rear*

$390