Description

This Senufo mask from the Korhogo region of Ivory Coast is known generically as Kpeliye. It represents an ancestor belonging to the Lo secret society. It is used in dances during funeral, agricultural, and initiation rites. This mask adheres to Senufo aesthetic conventions: a prognathous face with an oval mouth showing teeth, slit-shaped eyes, scarifications on the cheeks and forehead, two pairs of panels on either side of the face, and two projections emanating from the chin. A hornbill adorns its head.

The hornbill is the primordial bird of the Senufo people. It is their protector. It is called "Ségèn." Its rounded belly makes it a symbol of fecundity and fertility, the symbol of one who knows much but says nothing. Its long, pointed beak represents one who speaks little. It represents and evokes prosperity. It carries the souls of the dead to the other world and is generally used in the Poro initiation rites. Its broad back signifies that it endures much to protect its offspring. It is the expression of one who speaks only to make a commitment, and this commitment is a symbol of determination.