Masters of West African sculpture
The Ivory Coast has produced some excellent sculptors. Their names were unknown and they were considered anonymous masters. A new exhibition in Bonn provides an insight into their work.
Created by individuals
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, masks were carved by members of six different ethnic groups on the Ivory Coast. Due to the sculptors′ anonymity, for decades their work was not valued as art. The exhibition "African Masters: Art from the Ivory Coast" attributes the works to individual artists. This seated figure with a plaited beard is the work of master sculptor Verite.
Naming the sculptors
Because not all the sculptors′ names could be discovered, some of them are named after the region in which they worked. The master of Yasua lived in the Guro region, close to a rainforest and woodland. Other sculptors have been given names such as "The master of the huge hands", "The master of the parasol" or "The master of the cockscomb".
Individual artists
Preparations for the exhibition took many years before it its first showing in Zurich′s Rietberg Museum. Thanks to the curators′ thorough research, there is now a new understanding about how these magnificent wooden sculptures were created. For a long time it was assumed that these artworks were carved in tribal workshops rather than by individual sculptors.
Function unknown
Researchers have different ideas about where "The master of the parasol" lived and worked. He is likely to have lived in the lagoon region in the south, near the capital Abidjan. His carved figures are particularly humorous: often holding parasols or wearing safari helmets. They originate from the early twentieth century and could have been used for decoration.
War masks
These masks with their wig-like headdresses were created around 1940 by an artist called Tame. He lived in the Dan region, on the border to Liberia, where he learned his trade from his father. The war mask with wide, staring eyes was thought to give people courage and strength and frighten enemies. The exhibition includes short films which show how masks like these were used in dances.
Similarities and differences
The carved figures present various ideals of beauty. While some artists carved elegant faces with long noses and lipless mouths, this pair by the sculptor Niokhite appears bulkier and more archaic. Despite huge differences there are many parallels between the works from different regions and regional styles cannot be seen as totally distinct from each other.
Impressive craft
The creativity and skill of these sculptors has now led to recognition of their work outside the African continent. A few weeks ago, a wooden sculpture from the Ivory Coast was auctioned off for 1.5 million euros (around $2 million). The most sought-after pieces are those of the first master of Letaha from around 1900, like this carving. The human character of the figure is striking.
Variety of styles
The master of Yasua is likely to have produced most of his work between 1920 and 1940. He added a dark stain to his wooden carvings, which can be recognized by their open mouths. This helmet mask, with its big snout and spoon-shaped ears, is reminiscent of a warthog. The researchers have discovered 300 different types of wooden sculpture.
An ongoing tradition
Jems Robert Koko Bi is the youngest of the sculptors whose work is displayed in the exhibition in Bonn. He was born in the Baule region of Ivory Coast but now lives in the German city of Essen, where he uses wood from the nearby Odenwald mountain range for his sculptures. He calls these figures "ancestors", as creating them ensures that the skills of the master carvers live on.
Sought-after sculptures
Emile Guebehi, who died in 2008, is famous for his life-size figures. They alternate between assimilation and subversion. Here, Guhebi portrays a scene after a marriage has been broken up through adultery. While the male figures wear modern shorts, the females, dressed only in loincloths, seem to come from the past. Guhebi′s scultptures are now in high demand in the art world.