TITLE: Baule Ram
TYPE: crest mask
GENERAL REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
ETHNICITY: Baule
DESCRIPTION: Kuamanbo (Ram) Helmet Mask
CATALOG ID: AFCI009
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Goli Festival
AGE: ca. 1970s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: paint; pigment
The Baule people of Côte d’Ivoire use many kinds of cultural masks and are known for the artistry and skill of their carvers. Several mask types are used in the Goli Festival, a day-long harvest celebration with music and feasting, where the masks are used for entertainment. This mask, worn atop the head, is also used to invoke the kuamanbo, a ram spirit that blesses the crops.
