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Mask (Kple Kple or Kouassi Gbe)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This kple kple mask belongs to the first of four pairs of masks that entertain as part of a performance sequence in the goli dance. The male in each pair dances first. The masks are worn by young boys in a rapid stamping dance. The masqueraders alternate with each other and watch their partners perform. The head of the male kple kple is painted red, whereas the female, like this example, is colored black.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMask (Kple Kple or Kouassi Gbe), late 1800s-early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Baule-style carver. Wood, resin, and paint; overall: 40.7 cm (16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White, 1975.155