Similar to the Kpelié of the genre of the acrobat is the piper. He is also an entertainer and every one in the area is allowed to see this mask on public celebrations. His character is polite and friendly. The mask of a piper is, like the acrobat, not common. It is more of importance that the Kpelié shows beauty and elegance than a certain nature or temper.
Where as the decoration elements and the center tops are identical as the features of the classic Kpelié, the expression of the face is different. The cheeks of the piper are ballooned and the mouth is pointy and elongated. The presented mask is a typical example for this character. The shiny surface got treated with Karité butter and the masks smells sweet.
Kpelié mask, genre of the piper. Unkown carver.
32,0 x 15,0 x 9,5 cm, wood.
Literature:
- Wenn Neuordnung Ordnung schafft, Markus Ehrhard, pages 152 - 153.
Copyright content and images by Markus Ehrhard
