Senufo Mask Cote D'Ivoire African Art Mid 20th Century

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Type of Object<br>Mask, carving<br>Country of Origin<br>Cote D'Ivoire<br>People<br>Senufo<br>Materials<br>Wood, pigment<br>Approximate Age<br>Mid 20th century<br>Height (in)<br>21.5<br>Width (in)<br>8<br>Depth (in)<br>6<br>Overall Condition<br>Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.<br>Damage/Repair<br>Scrapes, small missing chunk from top, please see photos for details.<br>Additional Information:<br>"The Senufo are an ethnic group who live in Côte d’Ivoire, previously called the Ivory Coast. The Senufo consist of numerous diverse subgroups, and recognize three secret societies – the Poro, Sandogo, and Wambele. These societies serve the purpose of instructing young men and women how to be good community members, honor their elders and ancestors, and respect supernatural forces. Art is an important part of the Senufo culture and it is tightly tied in with their religion and beliefs. The one that concerns us is the Poro society which makes specialized masks that are used to connect with the gods, ancestors, and bush spirits. The Kponyungo, also known as the “funeral head mask” or “Firespitter,” is the most well-known Senufo mask. The name Kponyungo is derived from the words “kpoo” and “nyungo”, which translates to “the head of the deceased one”. It is a carved wooden helmet mask, which means it is worn over the whole head, and is used in the funerals of the Senufo people." (plu.edu)<br>The Senufo are a large dispersed population living primarily in Ivory Coast and Mali in small self-administered villages supporting themselves primarily as farmers. Though generally autonomous the villages are joined through a shared men’s secret society known as Poro or Pondo that is responsible for the initiation of young boys and men into different levels of society and to exercise social control and instruct members and initiates in religious wisdom and knowledge of the bush spirits. Women have their counterpart to this ion their divination society known as Sando. Among the Senufo people funerary ceremonies serve as a primary occasion for the appearance art during ritual displays. It is during the funerals of senior members of the Poro society and woman’s society that dances to celebrate the life of the deceased.<br>Recommended Reading:<br>Kerchache's ART OF AFRICA<br>tb1122<br>**144171**<br>All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2023<br>Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers!<br>Please visit our About Us page.<br>Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity auctions.<br>Customer Service<br>: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care!<br>Handling Time<br>: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours.<br>Returns<br>: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card.<br>Combining Shipping<br>: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order.<br>When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card.<br>U.S. Shipping&