An atypical Grebo mask

Estimated price  500 - 600 €

An atypical Grebo mask, Ivory Coast, Sassandra region. Certificate of origin and provenance. Incl. stand.

“The Grebo use several types of masks, some used for adult initiation or religious ceremonies. The most commonly seen is the war mask, used by warrior societies and formed in the shape of a plank with cylindrical eyes, numbering between two and twelve. The mask is danced in preparation for war and at the funerals of warriors.”

Lit: Second Face, Museum of Cultural masks.

"The Grebo people inhabit the coast of Eastern Liberia and surrounding forests, and are a small ethnic group named after their migration from the Sahara region to Liberia, translating to "leaping monkey people." Known for their ferocity in battle, the construction of their mask work reflects their warrior culture, with flat war masks featuring 3D tubular eyes measuring up to a meter in height. These masks make appearances not only during battles but also at pre-dance rituals and funerals of fallen warriors.
Aside from war masks, the Grebo also create tall, flat masks with large faces and painted "buffalo horns," as well as masks that represent the ideal female, characterized by slitted eyes and a gentle expression. Both of these mask types are used during initiation rites and festive events.
Grebo masks have notably influenced the works of Pablo Picasso, who, alongside Georges Braque, created Cubism, a style that portrays subjects in 2D while combining multiple perspectives into one image. Picasso purchased a Grebo mask in the early 1900s, which inspired him as he developed Cubism, culminating in one of his most well-known works, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, featuring five nude women with angular bodies and faces inspired by the Grebo mask." Source The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ligbi masks from Côte d'Ivoire are indeed considered relatively rare within the broader corpus of West African masking traditions. The Ligbi people, also known as Wela or Wulé, inhabit regions primarily along the western border of Côte d’Ivoire, near the Ghanaian border, particularly around Bondoukou and Bouna. The population is small and culturally influenced by both Mande-speaking and Akan-speaking neighbors.

Ligbi masks are mostly associated with Islamicized Mande cultural zones and were used in ceremonial performances connected to initiation rituals and funerary celebrations, often in association with the do society, a male initiation association shared with their Senufo and Nafana neighbors. Their dance masks are typically characterized by a highly stylized human face with elaborate, abstracted elements. They often include vertical horns, zoomorphic extensions, or complex coiffures. The symmetry and smooth carving reflect a high degree of aesthetic refinement.

Unlike the more widely collected masks of the Senufo, Dan, or Baule, Ligbi masks were seldom collected in large numbers by colonial or early post-colonial agents. The relatively limited production of these masks, their ceremonial specificity, and their regional confinement contribute to their rarity in both museum collections and the art market.

They are also notable for their syncretic character: while their use is embedded in Islamized contexts, their form and performative use align closely with the more traditional West African masquerade system, where masks are animated during public events accompanied by music and dance. In contrast to many Islamic societies in which figural imagery is avoided, the Ligbi case shows a localized adaptation that allows masking to continue in Islamized societies, albeit under specific ritual conditions.

Important examples can be found in museum collections such as the Musée du quai Branly in Paris and The British Museum, but they remain comparatively under-represented in contrast to other groups from Côte d’Ivoire.

For further reference see
– François Neyt, Masques: Masques d’Afrique
– Susan Vogel, Baule: African Art, Western Eyes
– Alain-Michel Boyer, Les Masques Africains.

Height: 50 cm without stand
Weight: 2,2 kg incl stand