Mask (Zamble) / Artist Unknown, African, Guro Peoples Côte D'Ivoire
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 2002/2.348
- Title
- Mask (Zamble)
- Artist Nationality
- Côte D'Ivoire
- Medium and Support
- wood, pigment
- Object Creation Date
- 1950-1999
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Côte d'Ivoire (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Côte d'Ivoire (nation)
- Dimensions
- 41.3 cm x 11.8 cm x 20 cm (16 1/4 in. x 4 5/8 in. x 7 7/8 in.)
- Century
- late 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Costume and Costume Accessory
- Primary Object Type
- mask
- Physical Description
- Face mask with stylized face and horns of an antelope and open jaws of a leopard. Forehead has three sets of scarifcation marks in relief; hairline is incised with pigmented linear and geometric patterns; striped horns curve naturally from top of head; eyes are set in ovoid grounds of white kaolin; top of snout shows incised V-shaped marks; mask is predominantly brown with traces of green, red and yellow pigment; chew stick in back shows some wear.
- Subject Matter
- Zamble is a mythical creature who usually appears with his beautiful wife, Gu, and his brutish and rambunctious brother, Zauli. In Guro thought, this ensemble possesses great power to detect harm, settle disputes, and to negotiate between the worlds of the wilderness and the village. They dance only at the most important festivals or at funerals of family members who were entrusted with their care. Zamble is a composite creature comprised of the fine facial features of a gazelle and the jaws of the leopard, a fitting visual metaphor for the grace and power of the male youth and vigor he is meant to evoke.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- associated concepts
- costume
- costume by function
- events
- legendary creatures
- masks (costume)
- objects we use
- people and culture
- religions and religious concepts
- religious concepts
- sculpture
- sculpture by material
- visual works
- visual works by medium or technique
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1890 x 2874
- File Size
- 723 KB
- Record
- 2002/2.348
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2002-sl-2.348/2002_2_348.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2002-SL-2.348:2002_2_348.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Mask (Zamble); Artist Unknown, African, Guro Peoples Côte D'Ivoire." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2002-sl-2.348/2002_2_348.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.
