Materials Object Type

 wood, polychrome pigment Mask

Origin People Grouping

 Ivory Coast Nafana

Masks & Helmets

Date

Late 19th Century

This huge polychrome plank masks known as Bedu are danced in ceremonies designed to rid the village of harmful spirits. It has a shallow box-like extension on the back that functions to support the mask on the dancer’s head. The Bedu is a small group within the Gurunsi ethnic group.