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Dan Kran Gla

TITLE: Kran Gla Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire
ETHNICITY: Kran (Dan)
DESCRIPTION: Gla Society spider mask
CATALOG ID: AFCI025
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Agriculture; Funeral Secret Society; Social Control
AGE: ca. 2000
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: metal tacks; kaolin clay

The Kran ethnic subgroup of the Dan people, and are also known as the We or Guere, living primarily in the Côte d’Ivoire.  The Gla secret society of the Kran people are charged with maintaining social control, including judicial functions, as well as officiating at harvest ceremonies and funerals.  They use “male” masks such as these to confer authority on the wearer in the performance of his important community functions.

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Guro Gu Mask

TITLE: Guro Gu Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire
ETHNICITY: Guro
DESCRIPTION: Gu Mask
CATALOG ID: AFCI005
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Celebration; Entertainment; Funeral
AGE: ca. 2010
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: oil-based paint

The Guro gu mask represents a beautiful young woman. It forms part of the trio of sacred masks with the zamble and zaouli. In the past, gu was the wife of zamble, but in modern rituals she is represented as the wife of zaouli, and therefore zamble‘s mother. All three masks are cult objects to which sacrifices are periodically made to bring prosperity to the family that owns them and to drive away evil spirits.  They are danced for celebrations and as entertainment, and also at funerals and to honor ancestors. The gu represents a divinity, but her dance careens about, stamping her feet incessantly. She wears bells on her ankles to accentuate her foot movements and dances to the music of a few flutes.

This mask was made for the tourist trade, but it displays the exceptional skill and artistry typical of guro master carvers. The elaborate hair style is an important element of the gu‘s appeal.

For more on Guro masking traditions, see Eberhard Fischer, Guro (Prestel, 2008) or Anne-Marie Bouttiaux, Guro (5 Continents Editions, 2016).

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 85 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 85 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents an elephant mask from the Guro ethnic group.  Such masks are principally used for village entertainment purposes rather than sacred rituals.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 50 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 50 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a zamble mask of the Guro ethnic group. The zamble is a mythical beast that combines various regional animals, including an antelope, leopard, and crocodile. The sacred dance that revolves around the zamble and his wife and brother, who bring blessings on the dance sponsors.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 45 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 45 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a war mask of the Bété ethnic group, used in preparation for hostilities.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 6 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 6 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a helmet mask of the Senufo ethnic group, called kponyugo. Single-faced kponyugo masks such as these are used together with double-faced wanyugo masks by the all-male Poro Society during funerals of important tribal leaders and at purification ceremonies.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 5 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 5 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a helmet mask of the Senufo ethnic group, called wanyugo. Double-faced wanyugo masks such as these are used together with single-faced kponyugo masks by the all-male Poro Society during funerals of important tribal leaders and at purification ceremonies.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 4 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 4 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a crest mask of the Baule ethnic group.  Such masks are very rare and represent a combination of different animals, sometimes at a high level of abstraction, along with human faces.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 2 francs

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 2 West African CFA francs

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a mask of the Guéré ethnic group, used for funerals of important tribe members and to detect and punish sorcerers.

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Côte d’Ivoire 1960 – 1 franc

REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
YEAR PRINTED: 1960
VALUE: 1 West African CFA franc

This stamp is one of a set of nine celebrating the traditional masks of the Côte d’Ivoire, issued in the year of its independence from French colonization. This specific stamp represents a mask of the Guéré ethnic group, used for funerals of important tribe members and to detect and punish sorcerers.

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