Facial Angbaï Mask

They have all the same features. Flat face under a embossed front. Straight nose and lack of mouth, reference to secrecy, intrinsic in its nature. Often eyes absent or formed by two thin stripes. The separation of the forehead and face is clearly marked by the relief of the former. The patina is usually dark brown. They are masks of the Pore, male secret society of the ethnic group, implanted in various ethnic groups of the West African, especially among the Senufo. Although the society of the Porus would have been created by the Toma It would have spread rapidly to other communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. Thus, the initiatic society of the pore It organized and directed the life of both the community and the people of both sexes. The Pore of the Toma It was a fearsome military organization that captured slaves to use as barter currency during the slave trade. The candidates who are at the end of the final stage of the initiation to the pore participate in the ceremonies. The candidates are symbolically devoured by the mask bearer and after this symbolic death they are reborn as members of the pore.

The masks that carry two horns on their heads are the Angbaï masks and represent the animal world, as reinforced by the skins that serve as clothing. They are mainly initiation masks but they also appear in funeral ceremonies and in the celebrations that bring together the community. Although they are not the most sacred masks of the Toma can only be ported by members of the Pore.

On the head are raised the two horns characteristic of the Angbaï masks. The front has three parallel vertical bumps. A trunked rhombus-like central flanked by two cylindrical appearances. Triangular eyes. A fine zenife of small triangles borders the face. A band of small triangles draws a large triangle with a vertex below in the lower third of the face. A band with low-twig drawing from the nose to the side of the great triangle. Two small ears in the form of vertical parallelogram are located on both sides of the forehead. Brown patina.