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Ivorian Guere People Mask: "Gla Kla'a"
Ivorian Guere People Mask: "Gla Kla'a"
Ivorian Guere People Mask: "Gla Kla'a"
Ivorian Guere People Mask: "Gla Kla'a"
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Ivorian Guere People Mask: "Gla Kla'a"

Collection: Spiritual Connections

Object Category: Masks, Religious Items
Object Type: Ritual Masks
Country: Ivory Coast
Continent: Africa
Geographic Region: Western Africa
Materials: Wood, Fur, Metal
width: 8 in; height: 12 in; depth: 2 in

This is an Ivorian Guere People judgement mask called "Gla Kla'a." The mask is used to battle the forces of chaos. Such masks are worn by members of the secret initiation society to enforce the law.

Masks embody good spirts. Their power comes from the blending of the natural chaotic forces of the bush and the wisdom of the ancestors. A mask becomes more important as it ages. The person wearing the mask is only a vessel for the mask's power. Decisions made by the mask of judgement are final.

The Guere live in southwest Ivory Coast.
Source:
https://www.bowers.org/index.php/collection/collection-blog/order-in-identity-masks-of-ivory-coast-s-we-people
https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/Mask-Metal-Wood-Textile-Zro-Gla-Guere-or-Sro-Zri-Wobe-Guere-Wobe-Ivory-Coast-Liberia/60451359-mask_metal-14.8.22-catawiki
https://www.african-arts-gallery.com/african-art/African-mask/Guere-Mask/18715