A rare special form of the well-known and frequent ‘zamble masks’ of the Guro people, neighbours of the Baule in Ivory Coast. These ‘zamble masks’ represent a mythical hybrid creature of human, antelope and crocodile. It features a half human face with (here white-rimmed) slit eyes, a nose without nostrils, a marked out jagged hairstyle and decorative scarification marks on the forehead. Above there are always two antelope horns, and the human face typically terminates with the open mouth of a crocodile. ‘Zamble’, viewed by the Guro as male and solemn, is used always with two other mask types: with ‘gu’, the beautiful woman, and with ‘gauli’, the humorous clown.
The special form of a ‘zamble’ mask of the Guro offered here is called a ‘giyela mask’ and displays all of the characteristics of the ‘zamble’ mentioned here. A hybrid human and animal creature, carved in lightweight, light-coloured wood and coloured black and white on the outside. The special features that makes this ‘zamble’ type into a much rarer ‘giyela mask’ is its size, and the large, triangular and rectangular projections at the sides. An old piece, with a small break to the rear rim. Otherwise no damage. Good usage patina and with a bite bar for the masked dancer on the back, on the inside.
Height: 45 cm; width: c. 27 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Roger Lefevre Collection, Brussels; then: Private collection, Brussels; currently: Austrian private collection.