Ivorian Mask Depicting Hornbill, Based

The beak is the whole story, and it is a long one.

This hornbill mask was carved in wood in the Ivory Coast, West Africa, in the 20th century. Hornbills figure in the art of several West African peoples, and masks in bird form are often associated with ritual and performance. This one is a long, curved shape, with a deep brown, rubbed surface. Fine incised lines cross the upper surface, and a split near the tip describes the open beak.

About 15 inches long. A bird in profile, set to take off.