African mask Yaure tribe Ivory Coast Circa 1950

African mask from Yaure  tribe in Ivory Coast Circa 1950. Beautiful dark patina.

Depth : 12 cm - Width : 24 cm - Height : 66 cm.

Swedish private collection, from the 1980s then inherited within the family.
Yaure tribe art is renowned for its delicacy and refinement. This superb mask is characterized by the purity of its lines and the powerful expression of its face. The best-known Yaoure masks depict human faces composed of zoomorphic elements. They belong to either Je or Lo society. With the help of these masks, the Yaoure hoped to influence the supernatural powers (yu) that could harm humans but also ensure their well-being. These masks are considered emblems of yu, extremely dangerous, to be handled with extreme caution, and kept away from women. Deaths that threaten the social order are the main reason for their appearance. With their dances, they restore the social balance of the community and accompany the deceased back to the ancestral world. This mask, with two horns projecting backwards, can be identified as a ram (bla), the animal representing power, vitality and fertility - essential abilities when the death of an important person jeopardizes the balance of the community.