What does the biombo mask represent?
The masks represent the Yu spirits who restore the social balance after a bereavement. These masks are considered very powerful and dangerous objects. They must be kept out of sight of women for fear of the effects that the supernatural powers of the Yu spirits may have on them.
Why is the Baule mask important?
It is used in tribal dances during harvest festivals, in processions to honour distinguished visitors and at the funerals of important figures. The circular face represents the life-giving force of the sun and the horns symbolize the great power of the buffalo.
What is the purpose of this Baule sculpture?
Sources differ on its role or function: some say it intervenes in the ritual of divination, others that it is a protection against sorcerers, or a protective divinity of agrarian rites, or a bush spirit. The figures and human masks are elegant — well polished, with elaborate hairdressings and scarification.
Which of the following is the prevailing interpretation of the MBLO masks of the Baule people in West Africa?
Which of the following is the prevailing interpretation of the Mblo masks of the Baule people in West Africa? Their presence made it possible for the invisible world to affect the human world.
What tribe is the biombo mask from?
Bowers Museum Foundation Acquisition Fund Purchase Within the Kasai province in central Democratic Republic of Congo are a number of very small, sometimes ancient tribes who have retained their individuality. Among them are the Bena Biombo who are best known for their masks of diverse type.
What are Baule masks made from?
The mask is made of wood with two holes cut into the eyes to enable the wearer to see. The rectangular mouth is also typical of this type of mask.
What is a Baule figure?
Baule diviners are individuals who have been selected by spirits, or asye usu, as mediums through which to communicate important insights into the human condition. The sculptures are often described as the asye usu’s “stool,” a figurative resting point for the spirits.
What is Baule art?
THE BAULE PEOPLE In the arts, women make pottery; men carve wood, cast metal and weave cloth. Although only men wear masks, artworks are owned by women and men. Baule artists created one of Africa’s great art traditions.
What does the Kwele mask symbolize?
Thought to represent benevolent forest spirits, the masks represent people or animals, or a combination of the two. Many lack eye slits; the masks are shown rather than worn, and many are painted with white kaolin earth, which the Kwele associate with light and clarity.
What is the purpose of the Kwele mask?
The Kwele masks represent the spirits of the forest and the bush and are presented during initiation ceremonies and or at the end of a mourning period to promote well-being within a community. The Kwele masks act as intermediaries between the world of the bush and that of the village.
What is the significance of Baule mask?
T his type of African mask is a Baule mask which is worn at Goli rituals. It is used in tribal dances during harvest festivals, in processions to honour distinguished visitors and at the funerals of important figures. The circular face represents the life-giving force of the sun and the horns symbolize the great power of the buffalo.
What is the origin of the Baule?
The Baule were a tribe that originated in the present day Ivory Coast area in Africa many years ago. The Baule assimilated a number of their neighbors’ masquerade forms: a naturalistic face mask, a horned helmet mask, and a flat circular mask called kple kple.
What is Goli Glin?
This mask constitutes the second in a series of four masks still performed as entertainment by the Baule peoples of central Côte d’Ivoire. The dance series is known as Goli, and this mask as Goli Glin. The mask is worn with an ample costume of woven green palm fronds that emphasizes the association with wild nature.
What does the Goli Glin mask look like?
There are two small, protruding eyes and a raised central crest. Stripes of black, white, and red paint animate the face. This mask constitutes the second in a series of four masks still performed as entertainment by the Baule peoples of central Côte d’Ivoire. The dance series is known as Goli, and this mask as Goli Glin.