SÉNOUFO, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire - Lot 402

SÉNOUFO, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Kpelié dance mask wood, old brown patina, internal wear mark Note: A people settled in the north of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, as well as in the south of Mali and Burkina Faso, the Sénoufo developed an artistic tradition closely linked to initiation societies, notably the Poro. Kpelié masks are part of this tradition. They accompany initiation cycles and certain public ceremonies, where they help train young initiates and transmit group values. Through their stylization and peripheral elements, they evoke forces of protection and balance. This mask is part of this function: worn during ritual dances, it materializes a regulating presence, associated with social order and learning, in a codified formal language specific to the Sénoufo.