YAHOURÉ, Ivory Coast M'Blo portrait mask Polychrome... Lot 174

YAHOURÉ, Ivory Coast M'Blo portrait mask Polychrome painted wood. Presumed date of manufacture: circa 1940. (Chipping) Height Height : 36 cm Collected around 1940 by Mr. Gustave Chaigneau, former public education inspector in French West Africa, on the outskirts of the village of Katiola. Acquired from him in 1989. Superb mask in the archetypal style, with crested headdress, numerous scarifications and arched eyebrows. Used for ceremonies addressing the souls of departed ancestors. This mask was made by a sculptor from the Katiola region. Little is known about the Yaouré people, who were nomadic. Over time, they merged by osmosis into the whole of Côte d'Ivoire. This mask has preserved its original polychromy. The paint (kotosouma) used is obtained by mixing parinari with kaolin and roucou seeds. Provenance : - Sale on June 15, 2013, Maison de ventes Leclerc, Marseille. - Collection of Mr. M..., former Consul General in Dakar in the 2000s.