Baule OLD Mblo TWIN Mask Antique African Tribal Art

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Baule OLD Mblo TWIN Mask Antique African Tribal Art

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Sold Date: 12/23/2008
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Baule OLD Mblo TWIN Mask Antique African Tribal Art

An Important OLD Baule Baoule MBLO Twin Mask, Extensive Use
Exceptionally Rare Dual Gender Male Female Portrait of Fraternal Twins
Antique African Art - Tribal Masque - Cote d'Ivoire

Collected from the: Baule Baoule peoples of Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa
Material: Carved wood, paint, pigment, skin oil
Period: Very earliest 20th century
Dimensions: 10.5" height, 7.5" width, 4.5" depth; weight is 2.30 pounds
Condition: Exquisite museum quality specimen from a private Parisian collection, exceptional signs of age and wear from authentic tribal use, minute age cracks and nicks test stable, exposed wood displays significant patination. Make special note of the artist's subtle juxtapositional use of both surface texture and gender ~ crackled red paint on the male and smooth black pigment on the female ~ to achieve a more complex reflection of harmony in the Baule's dualistic universe. Perfect symmetry, serene expressions, intricate coiffures with deeply burnished skin oil patina on smooth, worn interior, exterior, rim and high points indicative of extensive tribal wear and handling, ever-so-slightly oily residue and surface condition suggestive of ritual rubbing. The Mblo are known to be the oldest mask form of this culture, be sure to see the notes on twin masks below ~ a truly stunning example of early Baule art !

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Baule Twin Masks of the MBLO Mask Group
Looked upon as portraits of lovely young girls or brave men of the village and intended to entertain, Baule twin masks were a relatively rare type of the Mblo mask group. The birth of twins within the Baule culture was considered a happy event to be celebrated by special ceremonies. Twin masks featured two perfectly carved, symmetrically arranged faces that differed solely in terms of the decorative elements with individualized coiffures and scarification patterns on the foreheads, cheeks and corners of the mouth. Only the marks, or ngole , at the corners of their eyes and bridge of the nose might be identical. Although the faces of a Baule twin mask were generally of the same gender, a differing color scheme of one red face and the other black, as noted in the Goli mask group, would be used to denote a sexual distinction. The colors used by the Baule reflect their philosophical conception of the dualistic organization of the universe, in which harmony is achieved by uniting two complementary principles.

Baule Baoule Mask Traditions and Use
The Baule used three major types of masks, the first of which was a animal shaped helmet known as Bonu Amwin . The second type belonged to a group known as Mblo, Blo, Ngblo, Gbo, Ajusu and/or Gbagba , depending on the region, which represented a human face with rounded, fairly realistic features. The third type included a family of four pairs of masks related to the Goli festival. One of the oldest Baule art forms, the second type of Baule face mask, known as Mblo or Blo , were usually a portrait of a known individual. Characterized by a rounded face with realistic features, pointed chin, T-shaped nose, semi-circular eyes, raised scarification typical of the Baule tribe, and an elaborate coiffure, the lustrous curved surfaces intentionally suggested clean, healthy, well-fed skin. The idealized faces were introspective, with the high foreheads of intellectual enlightenment and the large downcast eyes of respectful presence in the world. Ornaments above the face ~ birds, combs, horns, faces and other decorative motifs ~ were chosen for their beauty and held no iconographic significance; braided beards, fine scarifications and elaborate coiffures denoted personal beauty, refinement and a desire to give pleasure to others. The Baule believe that the Mb...