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Female Face Mask (Ndoma)

A work made of wood, copper alloy, and pigment.

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  • A work made of wood, copper alloy, and pigment.

Date:

Late 19th or mid–20th century

Artist:

Baule
Côte d’Ivoire
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

Until Côte d’Ivoire’s civil war (2002–2007), Baule village life was regularly punctuated by entertainment masquerades. Such spectacles included masks that were idealized portraits honoring living members of the community. They were attached to a cloth costume and worn by a man—including the female mask displayed here—while the person portrayed typically danced beside him. In addition to individualized traits in its hairstyle and scarifications, this mask’s high forehead symbolizes intelligence and its downcast eyes suggest an introspective disposition.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Baule

Title

Female Face Mask (Ndoma)

Place

Côte d'Ivoire (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1875–1975

Medium

Wood, copper alloy, and pigment

Dimensions

28.6 × 18.1 × 12.7 cm (11 1/4 × 7 1/8 × 5 in.)

Credit Line

The Art Institute of Chicago, Ada Turnbull Hertle Endowment

Reference Number

1988.309

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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