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Mask
We
20th century, 1950–2000
Object Place: Liberia or Cote d'Ivoire
Medium/Technique
Wood, pigment, fur, horn, cloth, fibers
Dimensions
Overall: 32 x 28 x 23 cm (12 5/8 x 11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2703
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 bulging slit eyes, gaping mouth, heavily painted surfaces and attached fur would be combined with a leather headdress with wooden, animal-teeth-like extensions. During special events, young men put on these masks and headdresses, donned fiber skirts and transformed themselves into otherworldly beings, performing songs and dances.
Inscriptions? examined on site
Provenance1969, sold by Mr. Kabah, 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)