Kpwan Mask

It is a female mask that presents all the delicacy of the Baule women's masks. He wears a comb in his temples to enhance the beauty of the hairstyle. In some villages she is considered the wife of the mask. It is therefore an important mask at the Goli ceremony. The Kpwan mask dances, in most places, by couples and together with his partner he closes the show. It refers to adults who have the capacity to found a family. They are combed with a high central loop flanked by two smaller loops. Its wearer wears a raffia dress or dry vegetable fibers that go down to the waist, from where others leave that go up to the feet, also the wrists and ankles are adorned with this same material. Some of these masks are also adorned with jewels. Although the female silk mask its wearer is always a man. This beautiful mask is the one called “food burns” because it is so beautiful that when women see it they are admired and forget that they have left the food in the light.

Some authors want to see in the small knob that some of these masks present a trait of hermaphroditism so frequent in the African statuary, we think that it is rather the beard of respect with which many women appear in the ancient statues of Baulé, symbol of respect and dignity.

This mask has an expression of sweetness and meditation and perfectly reflects the ballet aesthetic. Dark and rough patina with traces of libations.