Baule Monkey Mask

The Baule people of Cote D'Ivoire were master craftspeople, especially notable for their richly polished woodworking. The elongated face of this monkey mask exhibits the striking sculptural results of those efforts. Monkey masks were used to ward off supernatural harm to the tribe. With deeply sunken eyes, pronounced ears, and elongated nose, brow, and snout it is easy to see the influence these African spiritual arts had on the European artists who would create the school of Expressionism.