Yaure Wood Lo Mask, Based

A crescent rising from the brow, and a face that gives nothing away.

This lo mask, mounted on a base, comes from the Yaure peoples of Ivory Coast, West Africa, carved from wood in the 20th century. Lo masks are among the sacred masks of the Yaure, associated with spirits and danced at funerals and other important events, with knowledge of them restricted within the community. A smooth, dark oval face narrows to a small mouth, with slit eyes under arched brows. A serrated edge runs around the jaw. A ridged crest climbs the forehead to meet a broad curved arc overhead. Sixteen and a half inches high.

Its stillness asks for some respect in return.