Guro

The Guró ethnic group comprises about forty tribes occupying a territory located in the western centre of the Ivory Coast. It is their neighbors the Bethé from the west, the Gagou from the south, the Baulé To the east and the Malinés to the north. As in many other cases, “Guró” is the name given by the colonizers to the “Kweni” people. People originally of cultivators. Animist religion. Their social life is organized on the basis of secret societies, among which stands the “Je” society that is in charge of social order, to resolve political and military issues and to combat sorcery and to remove from the village the forces of evil. Most of their masks are anthropomorphic but also have some zoomorphs or anthropozoomorphs. They are installed in the country before the Baulé who from the beginning were inspired by their fine artistic forms. Since the middle of the century XX have produced numerous richly polychrome masks, being the most known for their beauty and the rites that accompany them the Zauli and the Zamblé. Among its main masks are: GYÉ: It is a mask of the northern part of the country guru. His head resembles that of the antelope but also that of the buffalo, with broad and flat horns and the open snout. It appears in the commemorative celebrations. ZAMBLE: It is a stylized antilope mask related to the war. DYÉ: Human face or elephant head. Appears at funerals. These masks can only be seen by men. ZAULI: Mask with a human face. It currently appears at the fun parties. (GU): It looks like a woman's face, with her scarifications and her headdress, sometimes carrying amulets. MASCARA ZAULÍGURO The word Zauli designates both the mask and the traditional dance of the country Guro. The Zauli mask is also called "Djelalu Zaouli" meaning "Zauli daughter of Djela". Although it has become one of the most important masks, next to the Zamblé, dates only from the middle of the century XX. This mask favors the productivity of the village. They don't get more than 60 centimeters. They are used in divinatory rites and may appear during parties covered by a dancer.