Mask
Artist Unidentified
20th century, 1950–2000
Object PlaceLiberia or Cote d'Ivoire
Medium/TechniqueWood, pigment, fur, horn, cloth, fibers
DimensionsOverall: 32 x 28 x 23 cm (12 5/8 x 11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2703
On View
Not on viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
The angular forms and fierce expression of Wè masks can be striking - this threatening male mask with bulging slit eyes, gaping mouth, heavily painted surfaces and attached fur would be combined with a leather headdress with wooden, animal-teeth-like extensions. During special events, young men put on these masks and headdresses, donned fiber skirts and transformed themselves into otherworldly beings, performing songs and dances.
Inscriptions? examined on siteProvenance1969, sold by Mr. Kabah, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
