We Gela or War Mask, Based

The horns point every direction at once. So, it seems, did the warning.

This gela, or war mask, is Guere, also called We, from Ivory Coast in West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is horn and cloth sewn onto a wood mask. We masks are known for piling on materials to produce a fearsome presence, and are generally linked with authority and conflict. Dozens of dark curved horns bristle outward, lashed on with rough cloth. A pale, wide-lipped mouth opens low in the mass, and small eyeholes sit above it. On a stand, 27 inches high.

Whoever faced it was not meant to feel comfortable, and still would not.