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THBIvory Coast Baule Kpan Pre Mask w/ Horns, ex Christie's
Lot 45
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:
$2,500 - $4,500
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
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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, Baule People, ca. early 20th century CE. A refined and powerful example of a Baule Kpan Pre mask, carved from a single block of wood and crowned with a pair of dramatic, rear-sweeping goat horns. The gently elongated face is modeled with serene precision: high arched brows framing narrow, slit eyes set beneath inverted crescent lids, a long and elegant nose, and a softly tapering chin pierced at the mouth for breathing. Delicate raised scarifications accent the temples and brow, echoing Baule standards of female beauty. Along the mask's perimeter, finely carved zigzag and notched edges create a rhythmic border, enhancing the sense of balance and symmetry. The Kpan Pre appears as the third mask in the highly structured sequence of the Baule Goli masquerade, which originated with the neighboring Wan people and entered Baule tradition in the early 20th century. Performed during funerals of high-ranking community members and at major village gatherings, Goli is a full-day celebration in which four distinct mask pairs appear in a set order. Size: 6.4" W x 12.9" H (16.3 cm x 32.8 cm); 15.5" H (39.4 cm) on included custom stand.
The Kpan Pre - associated with youthful feminine energy - bridges the animal-spirit vitality of the earlier masks with the human-faced refinement of the final Kpan. In performance, the dancer's raffia and hide costume (often incorporating leopard skin, a symbol of prestige and power) completed the visual impact of the mask, transforming the wearer into an embodiment of grace, strength, and ancestral continuity.
The backward-curving horns, linked in Baule symbolism to the wild, liminal power of the forest, crown a face that idealizes human beauty, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of human and animal qualities. Warm brown patina with subtle honey-toned highlights testifies to age and ritual use, while the reverse bears evidence of repeated wearing. Elegant, balanced, and imbued with deep cultural meaning, this is a rare and evocative example of the Kpan Pre corpus.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired via descent in 2010; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in June 2005; ex-Taylor Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-Christie's New York, New York, USA, November 28, 1984
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#196052Stable fissures to lower part of face, forehead, and verso, as well as some chipping to peripheries and nicks and abrasion in areas. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina to wood. Old collection label on verso.Condition
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