Minneapolis Institute of Art

Kpele Kpele Mask

Baule artist

Date

19th century

Medium

Wood, reconstructed raffia collar

Culture

Baule

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The kpele kpele mask represents the junior male element in a series of four mask types that appear in pairs in the Goli ceremony. The Goli dances are performed at elders' funerals and as village entertainment. The dance was introduced to the Baule by the neighboring Wan people around 1900. The four sets of dancers are symbols of the structure of society and the inter-relationships of men, women and the social order. Côte d'Ivoire, Africa

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