Old piece from the second half of the 20th century on a stand, a Bété mask known as the "spider" mask, from Côte d'Ivoire.

Very good condition, nice overall patina, fabric around the edge, the animal horns rest on a carved wooden mask.

A hook at the top to hang the mask on the wall.



This mask is particularly striking for its shape and volume. The elements that make it up project outwards. It symbolises an animal that recurs in the tribal cosmogony of West Africa: the spider, and more precisely the tarantula that lives in a burrow. The mask was meant to cause fear and to embody the negative forces of the forest. They were shown at funeral ceremonies or at the great festivals bringing several villages together. In the past it was a war mask, whose role was to prepare men for battle. This mask has horns that curve back over the mouth like the legs of a spider on its prey. After armed conflicts, this mask presided over ceremonies restoring peace and over sessions of customary justice.