Authentic Large Ceremonial Guro Mask Cote d'Ivoire

This stunning Large African Guro Mask hails from Guro in the Kweni region of the Ivory Coast. Measurements are in pictures, and this hand-carved mask exudes patina and evokes traditional Sub-Saharan African art. It is believed to hold supernatural powers in its horns, while its combination of human and animal traits and imaginary beasts represents the spirit of Guro, wife of Zamble. Historically, these masks were featured in funerals, animal sacrifices, and weddings, and today they are used to honor ancestral heritage through traditional dances. The Guro people, numbering about 200,000, live in the interior part of the country, surrounded by tropical rainforests and wooded savanna. They are sedentary farmers. The daily life of the Guro is dominated by secret societies and by a belief in protective spirits, to whom the Guro used to build shrines and figures. The Guro have a very pronounced artistic sense. The best-known cult among the Guro concerns a group of masks considered a family. It consists of several animal masks and gu, a woman mask. Gu, who is usually thought of as Zamble’s wife, performs during the ceremony for resolving quarrels and detecting sorcerers, or dances at funerals and other ceremonies. Zamble is a creature combining the features of a hyena, a crocodile, a leopard, and an antelope. During her performance, which is accompanied only by flute music, Gu moves slowly and gracefully, singing songs in honor of Zamble. The theme of the woman and the snake has apparently been borrowed from the Guro mythology. Its condition is very good.