Detective Mask

Origin: We Peoples (Gere/Wobe Tribes), Ivory Coast
Composition: wood, pigment dye, cotton textile, cowrie shells, feathers, vegetable fiber, animal bone

The We, whose name means 'men who easily forgive,' live in the forests on the western frontier of the Ivory Coast. They are in fact two separate tribes - the Gere (also known as Guere and Ngere) and the Wobe - but they share many customs and beliefs. We masks are controlled by the Gle society, and represent nature spirits that carry significant supernatural power. The combination and accumulation of diverse paraphernalia is what gives these masks their power - the more added materials, the greater the mask's supernatural power. These masks are typically worn by dancers who are detectives, and the mask gives them the ability to identify a guilty person.
Ref: Bacquart, Tribal Arts of Africa; Stepan, Spirits Speak; Herzog, African Masks.

Because of its exaggerated lips, this mask can most likely be attributed to the Wobe.