Mask (Gbona Gla) | Yale University Art Gallery

late 19th–early 20th century

The identity of a Wè mask is more apparent in the costume and accoutrements, which the owner adds, than in the wooden mask itself, which has been carved by a sculptor. A mask represents a lineage and may appear in the village dance arena with many other masks. Each is followed by an orchestra and an assistant who interprets the mask's grotesque sounds. Masks are called to perform especially at times of conflict. The masked character may act as the "supreme judge," pronouncing verdicts and imposing fines.

Medium: Wood, feathers, fiber, pigment, hide, human hair, cowtail hair, boar tusk, animal teeth, cloth, nails, and encrustation
Dimensions: 25 × 15 × 9 in. (63.5 × 38.1 × 22.86 cm)
Credit Line: Charles B. Benenson, B.A. 1933, Collection
Accession Number: 2006.51.524
Geography: Guinea Coast, Liberia, or Guinea Coast, Côte d'Ivoire
Culture: Wè
Period: 19th–20th century
Classification: Masks
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Marie-Eliane d'Udekem D'Acoz, New York: unknown date - January 25, 1987
Charles B. Benenson Collection, donated to Yale University Art Gallery in 2004

Bibliography

Frederick John Lamp, Amanda Maples, and Laura M. Smalligan, Accumulating Histories: African Art from the Charles B. Benenson Collection at the Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2012), 294, ill

"Acquisitions, July 1, 2005–June 30, 2006," Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin (2006), 222, ill

Object copyright

Additional information

Object/Work type

ceremonial objects, masks (costume)

Technical metadata and APIs

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