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Mask
We
20th century, 1950–2000
Object Place: Liberia or Cote d'Ivoire
Medium/Technique
Wood, raffia, cloth, metal, nails
Dimensions
Overall: 24.5 x 14 x 12.5 cm (9 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 4 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2706
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania
ClassificationsSculpture
The angular forms and fierce expression of Wè masks can be striking - this threatening male mask with tubular cheeks, projecting eyes and gaping mouth with metal teeth give it a ferocious expression. Narrow slits below the sharply delineated forehead would barely allow the wearer to see his surroundings. During special events, young men put on these masks and headdresses, donned fiber skirts and transformed themselves into otherworldly beings, performing songs and dances.
Inscriptionsround white label inside back: "2"; red plastic label inside back: "83"; round pink label written in ink, partially obscured by red label: "...B"
Provenance1960s, sold by an unidentified African merchant, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)