Pair of Bedu masks Ivory Coast Wood, pigments H.:... Lot 98

Pair of Bedu masks Ivory Coast Wood, pigments H.: 96.5 cm. / H.: 91 cm. Polychrome female-male masks. The shovel-shaped geometric faces are structured by red, white and brown flat patches. The faces are surmounted by a central column leading to large bovid horns, inscribed in an almost perfect circle. The origin of the Bedu mask goes back to the ancient sakrobundi masks made by the Nafana. They were banned in the 1920s and 1930s by Christian missionaries. To replace them, they created the Bedu mask. Mask often worn in male-female pairs. It is worn on the occasion of funeral and harvest festivals. It protects men against bad luck, illness and sterility and increases their life force. These are the greatest masks of African art. Ancient, authentic objects. Consultant: Jean-Pierre LACOSTE