| Baule Goli kplekple mask |
| Masks correspond to several types of dances: the gba gba, the bonu amuen, the mblo and the goli. They never represent the ancestors and are always worn by men. The gba gba is used at the funerals of women during the harvest season. It celebrates beauty and age, hence its refined features. The double mask represents the marriage of the sun and the moon or twins, whose birth is always a good sign. The bonu amuen protects the village from external threats; it obliges the woman to a certain discipline; and it appears at the commemorations of death of notables. When they intervene in the life of the community, they take the shape of a wooden helmet that represents a buffalo or antelope and which is worn with a raffia costume and metal ankle bracelets; the muzzle has teeth, which incarnate the fierce animal that is to defend the group. Goli is the day-long spectacle that normally involves the whole village and includes the appearance of four pairs of masks, music played on special instruments, and, ideally, the jojoyous consumption of a great deal of palm wine. Goli can be performed both as an entertainment and for the funeral of important men. The very characteristic, round-shaped “lunar” goli is surmounted by two horns. It was borrowed from the Wan for a celebration adopted by the Baule after 1900. Celebrating peace and joy, they would sing, dance, and drink palm wine. In the procession, the goli preceded the four groups of dancers, representing young adolescents. The goli would be used on the occasion of the new harvest, the visit of dignitaries, or at the funerals of notables. The goli kplekple mask is one of several that appear in the Goli spirit dance. It represents a minor spirIt associated with the junior rank of male dancers who perform before the more important masks appear. In keeping with its low status, this mask is made in a simple disk-shaped design and lacks the more complex form and ornamentation that the Baule admire in their important masks. Considered a mischievous mask, the youthful dancer playfully chases young women around the village, goaded by their songs. I currently do not have a Baule Goli Society Kpele mask in my collection Below are some examples for reference purposes |
| Sotheby's - Paris Art Africain et Océanien, Auction Date : Jun 15, 2004 Lot 31 : f - MASQUE, BAULÉ, CÔTE D'IVOIRE Description Ce masque Kple Kple, d'une belle ancienneté, se compose d'un visage rond à la surface plane, surmonté de deux cornes recourbées l'une vers l'autre. La peinture - rouge ou noire - qui caractérise habituellement ce type de masque ayant presque disparue, les traits gravés apparaissent avec d'autant plus de force, en particulier la bouche rectangulaire à rangée de dents pointues et les traits concentriques cernant la pupille. Condition Note: Usure importante de la surface et manques dus à l'érosion et probablement aux termites - stabilisés, sur le bord inférieur et supérieur de la collerette. Dimensions haut. 41 cm Estimate:€ 5,000 - € 7,000 Price Realized: € 0 Provenance Nicaud, Galerie Burgui, Paris 1961 Notes Les masques Kple Kple de petit diamètre sont rares. Ils en constituent la forme la plus ancienne. A rapprocher du masque illustré dans S. Vogel, 1999, p. 174, appartenant à la collection Rui Quintela, premier masque du goli jamais répertorié, probablement collecté par Henri Labouret avant 1914. |
| SOTHEBY'S AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART SALE N07845 AUCTION DATE SESSION 1 | 15 Nov 02 10:15 AM. LOCATION New York LOT 13 Property from the Ulrich Klever Collection, Germany A FINE BAULE GOLI SOCIETY MASK estimate 10,000—15,000 USD Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,755 USD MEASUREMENTS height 33 3/4in. 85.7cm DESCRIPTION kplekple bla, of large proportions, with a raised circular lip at the back supporting the flat disc with rectangular abstract mouth baring teeth and circular eyes above pierced holes for vision, all beneath the arching horns joining at the crown; varied deep brown patina with traces of black and white pigments. Provenance: Emil Storrer, Zurich, 1952 Cf. Barbier (1993: 126, figure 212) for a related goli mask. This type of mask is one of four pairs that appear within the dance, and represents the junior male of the series. |
| SOTHEBY'S AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART COLLECTION VEENA ET PETER SCHNELL, COLLECTION BAUDOUIN DE GRUNNE ET DIVERS AMATEURS SALE PF4011 AUCTION DATE SESSION 1 | 03 Dec 04 3:00 PM. LOCATION Paris LOT 104 (of 174) f - MASQUE, BAULÉ, CÔTÉ D'IVOIRE [A BAULE MASK, IVORY COAST] estimate 3,000—4,500 EUR Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 1,680 EUR MEASUREMENTS measurements haut. 40 cm alternate measurements 15 3/4 in DESCRIPTION Kplé Kplé de type classique : visage rond à la surface plane surmonté de deux cornes recourbées l'une vers l'autre, les pupilles projetées en haut relief, une ouverture de vision triangulaire destinée au danseur, percée sous les pupilles. Il a conservé la corde de maintien que le porteur serrait entre les dents. Quelques éclats dans la patine font apparaître des couches de polychromie superposées, prouvant l'utilisation répétée de ce masque dans un contexte traditionnel. |
| cti.itc.virginia.edu/ ~bcr/Bayly/Bayly2.html |
| Baule, Goli Society Title: Kpele Kpele Mask Date: 19th century Medium: Wood, reconstructed raffia collar Dimensions: 44 x 26 1/2 x 17 1/2 in. (111.8 x 67.3 x 44.5 cm) (horns) Credit Line: The William Hood Dunwoody Fund Location: Gallery 250 The kpele kpele mask represents the junior male element in a series of four mask types that appear in pairs in the Goli ceremony. The Goli dances are performed at elders' funerals and as village entertainment. The dance was introduced to the Baule by the neighboring Wan people around 1900. The four sets of dancers are symbols of the structure of society and the inter-relationships of men, women and the social order. Object Description Classification: Mask Creation Place: Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro Owner: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts |
| The examples above are probably authentic The examples below are "most likely" decorative |
| Arte Primitivo Estimate: $850-$2,000 Auction Closed(Final Price) $225.00 Category: African Sub Category: West Africa Culture or Country: Ivory Coast. Period: -- Size: 17-1/4"H. Description: Decorative, wooden face mask of rounded form having square-cut mouth with visible teeth and drop-shaped eyes with triangular cuts and raised pupils. Rounded horns above and wide attachment flange behind, perforated around top for attachment. Minor chip on reverse, else intact. Provenance: Ex. Morton Polk, N.Y.C., collected prior to 1971. |
| Examples below are of contemporary pieces |
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