The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

Male Mask

c. 1940s

Africa, West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Baule-style carver

wood
Overall: 22.9 cm (9 in.)
Gift of Katherine C. White 1972.341
Location: Not on view

Description

Used in performances at women's funerals and harvest festivals this mask was probably a generalized portrait of a specific person noted for his dancing skill, beauty, and reputation. He would have danced alongside his mask image during the performance. Smooth, rounded surfaces and clearly defined facial scarifications are marks of beauty and civility among the Baule. See video
  • 1961
    Stolper
    Stolper (1961); Katherine White Reswick
  • Fagg, William, and Cleveland Museum of Art. 1968. African Tribal Images; the Katherine White Reswick Collection. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, no. 79.
  • CMA 1973: "Year in Review 1972," CMA Bulletin LX (March, 1973), p. 107, no. 37
    Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
    CMA 1968: "African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection," cat. no. 79, repr.
  • {{cite web|title=Male Mask|url=false|author=|year=c. 1940s|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.341