BAULE Old MINIATURE Mblo MASK Antique African Art

An Exquisite Old Baule Baoule Miniature MBLO Portrait Mask
Antique African Art - Tribal Masque - Cote d'Ivoire

Collected from the: Baule Baoule peoples of Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa
Material: Carved wood, pigment, kaolin
Period: Early 20th century
Dimensions: 6.25" height, 3.75" width, 2" depth; weight is 4.50 ounces
Condition: Exceptional museum quality miniature Mblo from a private Parisian collection, exquisite signs of age and wear from authentic tribal use, wear exposed wood displays significant patination. Make special note of the perfect symmetry, serene expression and intricate detail: exhibits anticipated accumulated debris of daily life. Beautifully burnished skin oil patina on worn exterior rim, outer braids and high points indicative of extensive indigenous handling - a spectacular, rare specimen !

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Baule Baoule Mask Traditions and Use
The Baule used three major types of masks, the first of which was a animal shaped helmet known as Bonu Amwin. The second type belonged to a group known as Mblo, Blo, Ngblo, Gbo, Ajusu and/or Gbagba, depending on the region, which represented a human face with rounded, fairly realistic features. The third type included a family of four pairs of masks related to the Goli festival. One of the oldest Baule art forms, the second type of Baule face mask, known as Mblo or Blo, were usually a portrait of a known individual. Characterized by a rounded face with realistic features, pointed chin, T-shaped nose, semi-circular eyes, raised scarification typical of the Baule tribe, and an elaborate coiffure, the lustrous curved surfaces intentionally suggested clean, healthy, well-fed skin. The idealized faces were introspective, with the high foreheads of intellectual enlightenment and the large downcast eyes of respectful presence in the world. Ornaments above the face ~ birds, combs, horns, faces and other decorative motifs ~ were chosen for their beauty and held no iconographic significance; braided beards, fine scarifications and elaborate coiffures denoted personal beauty, refinement and a desire to give pleasure to others. The Baule believe that the Mblo masks have always existed; the Mamla claimed to have brought this mask type with them when their ancestors emerged from the earth or descended from the sky and in non-Mamla villages they were believed to be so old that their origins could not be uncovered. The Mblo embodied the core Baule style and sculptural traditions manifested in figures and decorated objects though they do not appear to have had any sacred function and were worn only in dances intended to entertain during festivities related to visits by important dignitaries. In the minds of the Baule, Mblo dances were always considered women's dances, so called because women could participate and because the style of the dance movement was thought to be feminine and very beautiful. The masks were thus associated with the village and with women, although it was, of course, men who wore them and danced in the performances. As "portraits" of a beautiful woman or man, Alain-Michel Boyer emphasized that a faithful likeness of the model was not the point, for, as one of his Baule contacts explained, "a sculptor is no photographer." To the Baule, the Mblo portrait masks were the summit of Baule sculpture, considered their most beautiful art form which provided a Baule artist their prime opportunity to demonstrate their skill and inventiveness publicly. No Mblo design was ever repeated exactly since each work represented an individual person, even twins were never the same when presented together on a single mask. Old Baule masks with figures are rare though an ever varied range of birds was a favored motif as artists and owners chose these for their beauty rather than for any symbolic value. Today Mblo is considered old-fashioned and though a few villages have modernized it, Mblo has more often fallen out of use. See African Masks of the Barbier-Mueller Collection, Africa: The Art of a Continent and African Art Western Eyes for further details.

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