Large Mask (Goli glen)
20th century
Object PlaceCote d'Ivoire
Medium/TechniqueWood and paint
DimensionsOverall: 70 x 32 x 25 cm (27 9/16 x 12 5/8 x 9 13/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2581
On View
Not on viewClassificationsMasks
Collections
The Goli masquerade of the Baule peoples was usually performed during the funerary ceremonies for important members of the community. The dance was comprised of four masks that represent a male-female pair. This mask is a representation of Goli Glen, an elder bush spirit that has antelope, buffalo, and crocodile features. The red pigment symbolizes blood, danger, and aggression and the mask is connected to both death and renewal. The presence of the Goli Glen was particularly powerful and women and children were discouraged from staring directly into the mouth of the mask. The Goli masquerade is still performed today; however it has become increasingly secularized.
Provenance1960, acquired in Paris by 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)
