Impressive 19th C. Baule Wood Mask - Mblo Portrait

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Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa F...

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

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• Lot Description
  West Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule peoples, ca. late 19th century CE. Finest Baule mask in the Coe collection - as designated by Coe himself! A superb example of Baule sculptural refinement, this late 19th century wooden mask captures the contemplative dignity and subtle dynamism that define the Mblo portrait genre. With its high domed forehead, half-lidded eyes, elongated triangular nose, and softly projecting mouth framed by braided tufts, the mask radiates introspective grace. A sweeping crescent coiffure rises behind the brow, finely incised with rhythmic striations, while a singular plaited crest arcs upward from the center - a sculptural flourish balancing elegance with energy. Carved from a single piece of hardwood, the face is flanked by pointed ridges along the cheeks and jawline, like a halo of light cast in shadow. Size: 4.1" L x 7.9" W x 13.3" H (10.4 cm x 20.1 cm x 33.8 cm)
  
  The dark patina, though slightly glossy from later surface treatment, still reveals the hand of the artist in subtle textural irregularities and fine tool marks, particularly on the interior. These jagged cuts - left by a locally forged iron blade - trace a signature unique to the sculptor's personal instrument, a forensic fingerprint in wood. While the exterior has been lightly varnished, likely scrubbed during its early entry into the Western market, its visual integrity remains intact, and its contours carry the weight of tradition.
  
  When analyzing this mask in 2010, Ralph T. Coe wrote: "This late 19th century Baule mask is the finest of the group that I have from this African tribe. It is so well worn that surmounting hair ornament is nearly worn away yet still retains its prominence. The condition of the mask shows signs of several generations of use...The elegance and aged patina of this mask enhances the classical characteristics clearly evident and balances its archaic beauty. Occult balance of the design elements and the softness only obtained by years of use would appeal not only to an ethnological collector but also be recognized by all connoisseurs as an object of great perception and beauty. The carver is so assured that he is not hindered by mechanically mundane measurements, but can carve to a greater organic effect by simply using his deeply perceptive eye. The result is an inner spiritual vitality that emerges from the mask in an extraordinarily timeless aura all its own. To obtain such a mask today would not only be next to impossible but would command a price beyond my means!"
  
  Known as a "Mblo" mask, this type of portrait mask represents one of the most sophisticated and long-standing forms of Baule aesthetic expression. Commissioned to honor respected community members - often female relatives of male patrons - these idealized likenesses did not strive for naturalistic accuracy. Instead, they embodied virtues such as composure, beauty, wisdom, and social grace. Their appearance in public performances was a community-wide event, the climax of a ceremonial masquerade combining dance, music, and comedic interludes. During such appearances, the subject of the mask - the mask's "double" - was always present in attendance, completing the cycle of reverence and representation.
  
  Mblo masks were worn in solo dances during the final act of a masquerade known as Gbagba or Mblo, a performative spectacle designed to entertain and to honor. Reserved for elite dancers, these masks symbolized not only artistic excellence but social recognition. The mask thus functioned both as a theatrical device and as a public affirmation of identity, legacy, and aesthetic values within Baule society
  
  This particular example stands out for its sculptural depth and arresting stillness. The harmony of form - arching brow, downward gaze, centered nose - conveys a philosophical weight, as though the mask is caught in deep thought. The wide forehead, a Baule signifier of intellect, and the closed eyes evoke inward reflection. Simultaneously, the rhythm of the headdress and beard offers a counterpoint of vitality, suggesting that grace and energy are not opposing forces but complementary qualities.
  
  Exhibited: Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, New Mexico, "Connoisseurship and Good Pie: Ted Coe and Collecting Native Art" July 2015 to April 2016. Organized by the Ralph T. Coe Foundation.
  
  Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in 2010 via descent; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased May 2002; ex-Allen Davis, 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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  #196119

  Condition

  Old loss to one spike on proper right side of chin and small nick to left cheek. Area of chipping to top of rim on verso, as well as light weathering and surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive detail and rich patina. Nice preservation of pigments. Old collection number inscribed on interior.
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