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THBEarly 20th C. Ivory Coast Senufo Poro Kpeliyee Mask
Lot 47
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,200 - $1,800
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| $20,000 | $2,500 |
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| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Ivory Coast, Senufo culture, ca. early 20th century CE. A finely carved early 20th century wooden Kpeliyee mask from the Senufo people, used in Poro society ceremonies. The face is elongated and heart-shaped, featuring a slender, projecting T-shaped nose, narrow slit eyes recalling the form of coffee beans, and delicately incised brows. Flanking the visage are broad, wing-like panels carved with linear striations, their curved outlines echoing the mask's overall organic symmetry. Above rises an elaborate vertical crest, crowned with a stylized comb-like element of rhythmic projections, while below the mouth extends a tubular projection set with finely incised cross-hatching, from which radiate three gracefully arched tusk-like forms. Size: 4.3" L x 7.9" W x 14" H (10.9 cm x 20.1 cm x 35.6 cm)
Kpeliyee masks are worn in performances marking the initiation rites of the Poro society, a central institution in Senufo social and spiritual life. In these ceremonies, the mask represents idealized beauty and refinement, its harmonious proportions reflecting the Poro ideal of moral and physical perfection. The stylized features also embody ancestral spirits, whose presence is invoked to guide initiates into adulthood, safeguard community traditions, and reinforce social cohesion. The mask's serene expression and symmetrical composition convey a sense of composure, wisdom, and dignity.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired via descent in 2010; ex-Taylor Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#196380Light wear with some minor nicks and abrasions, as well as chipping to one spike. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining detail and rich patina throughout.Condition
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