Wè
Mask of Wisdom (Gbona Gla)
Wè, 1900-1932
Scroll
Wè
Mask of Wisdom (Gbona Gla)
Wè, 1900-1932
Physical Qualities
Wood, cloth, fur, feathers, hair, cowrie shells, shotgun shells, raffia, 13 x 10 1/4 in. (33 x 26 cm.)
Credit Line
Purchase with exchange funds from Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Gilliam
Object Number
1968.29
The unkempt ruffs of this We Mask of Wisdom (Gbona Gla) convey the forceful character of the forest spirit it represents. This spirit appears in times of trouble and its powerful nature allows it to perform important duties. The Mask of Wisdom might play peacemaker during a breach between families, resolve offenses against the village, or share in the community's grief at the funeral of a well-respected man.
African Reinstallation
African Gallery Rotations 2021
African Gallery Rotations 2022
African Gallery Rotations 2023
African Wing Rotations 2024
African Wing Rotations 2025
Frederick Lamp, 'African Art at The Baltimore Museum of Art,' African Arts, November 1983, Vol. XVII, No. 1, p. 44, ill. p. 44.
Hans Himmelheber, 'Die masken der Guereim Rahmen de Kunst des oberen Cavally Gebietes,' Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie, vol. 88, no. 2, 1963, pp. 216-233. Hans Himmelheber, 'Masken der Guere II,' Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie, vol. 91, no. 1, 1966, pp. 100-108.
On View at the BMA
