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All auctions / Ethnographic / A wooden mask - Gelede - Yoruba - Benin (No reserve price)
Geléde Helmet Sculpture by Kifouli Dossou – Cotonou Region, Benin The polychrome wooden sculpture follows the structure of a geléde helmet mask: A broad human face forms the base for a complex, narrative superstructure. Above it, two red-painted figures are engaged in a shared activity; vessels, curved yellow forms, and a rich green canopy of leaves condense the scene into a small stage set. Bold reds, blues, greens, and yellows, along with geometric ornaments, delineate the sculptural planes and lend the composition an almost theatrical presence. Kifouli Dossou, born in Cové in 1978, comes from a family of geléde carvers and was trained in particular by his brother, Amidou Dossou. His work brings the Yoruba geléde tradition of the Benin-Nigerian border region into the present day. A characteristic feature is the combination of the traditional masked face with elaborate scenes of everyday and social life. Dossou understands these visual worlds as both a means of storytelling and commentary. The historical Geledé tradition particularly honors the spiritual and social power of the "mothers"; in Dossou's work, this cultural heritage becomes an independent form of contemporary sculpture. Literature (selection): Henry J. Drewal / Margaret T. Drewal: Geledé: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba. Bloomington 1983. Fondation Zinsou: Les Masques Guélédé. Cotonou 2013. Benin/Benin tussen gisteren/morgen. Apeldoorn 1998. Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright. Inv. No. MAZ28317
Estimate:$568.56
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Estimate:
$568.56
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