Very rare and powerful fetish mask of the Betè Guerè ethnic group.
Traditionally this mask was worn in ceremonies preparing for war, today it is danced in numerous ceremonies including for public entertainment on the occasion of particular festivities.
Mask with wooden base and filled cloth on the edge, clay, sacrificial material, animal hair, and more than 100teeth.
The Betè live in Ivory Coast, bordering the Akan to the east and the Guru to the north.
Each village is under the authority of the elder of the most influential family.
Traditionally hunters, today their main resource is agriculture.
Height 31 cm. Weight 1100 gr. Era 50s/60s
Private collection Turin
Acquired by the “Galleria Arkana” Turin in the 1980s
Acquired by the Multiethnic and Antique Gallery "Arkadia Gallery"Turin
