GURO
Gou mask
Old and important mask from the turn of the century before last. Stylistically, it belongs to a small group of masks that appeared already in the early 20th century with highly esteemed collectors and dealers such as Guillaume, Eluard, Ratton or Goldman. This mask has not left our house since 1934.
Together with the Zauli and Zamble, the Gou mask belonged to the most revered cult masks of the Guro. They were firmly in the possession of certain families and were regularly sacrificed. They rarely appeared and their reproduction was strictly supervised.
Ivory Coast , 56 cm
Late 19th/early 20th century | Acquired 1934 by Hans Himmelheber in situ
Published in Christie’s African Art, 2016 | AHDRC ao-0131779
Wood, iron, cotton, fibre, sacrificial patina
Collection No. B-18 | historic documents available
Find the mentioned references at AHDRC: ao-0060222, ao-0060115, ao-0060330, ao-0060154
MARKET DEBUT: 2016
