Mask Representing the Spirit of Gu

Origin: Guro Tribe, Ivory Coast
Composition: wood (one piece), mixed lacquer/stain

This Guro mask represents the spirit of Gu, the wife of Zamble, a supernatural being who is part of the complex Guro belief system. Gu is often depicted as elegant, graceful, serene and beautiful. The Guro skillfully combine human and animal forms throughout their masks, exhibiting notable features on the almond shaped eyes, rounded foreheads, finely sculptured noses and mouths, and small but sprouting lips. Hairdos and headdresses are heavily stylized and elaborate. The masks are normally colorful and coated with paint and natural dyes.

Incredibly, this elaborate mask is carved from a single piece of wood. It was collected in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso in 2007 after being brought more than 1500km from Abidjian by a dealer from Ivory Coast who is a friend of our friend Badjo. It is remarkable when one considers the feat of travel endured by this dealer during difficult times, and the quality of this and other pieces we purchased from him.

The Guro people, between the Baule and the Yaure to the west, the Malinke to the north and the Bete and We to the south, live surrounded by savannah and forest. They migrated from the north during the 16th century and number about 200,000. Originally they were called Kweni, but they were violently colonized between 1906 and 1912 and were given the Baule name Guro by the invading French colonials. Guro villages have rounded houses in the northern area and rectangular houses in the southern region. Village life is regulated by a council of elders, representing each main family, and by secret societies. The Guro farm predominantly cotton, rice, coffee and cocoa- the men clear the fields and the women plant. (Bacquart,  Tribal Arts of Africa).