This is the rating and price for 20Th C. African Ivory Coast Guro Wood Mask

Description : West Africa, Ivory Coast, Guro culture, ca. mid-20th century CE. A wonderful, hand-carved wood mask presenting an elongated visage with a huge, convex forehead that dramatically narrows to a pointed chin. The stylized visage presents slender eyes beneath arched brows, a prominent, crooked nose that comes to a sharp point, and a petite, closed mouth, all capped by a black coiffure and an elaborate headdress with 3 front points and a large, tubular finial that juts out from the top. A rich hue of burgundy pigment adorns the face, nicely complemented by black and white painted features. Size: 7.5 W x 19.3 H (19 cm x 49 cm), 23.3 H (59.2 cm) on included custom stand. This mask would have been part of a group of masks considered a family. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, In Guro culture, distinctions are made between masquerades that are the focus of cults and those that are more secular in nature. A sequence of three sacred masks centers around Zamble, a mythical male being whose form fuses antelope and leopard features. He is in turn complemented by his beautiful wife, Gu, and his wild, grotesque brother, Zuali. Such representations are owned by certain families that use them as the loci of sacrificial offerings proposed by diviners to improve their well-being. In contrast, other Guro mask forms, which serve only as sources of entertainment, are designed by individual performers. Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #163713
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