Mask

Wee (Wè) artist

1940s

Wood, metal, hair, fur, pigments, plant fibers, leopard teeth

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A carved wooden mask with dark brown hair and fur accents, adorned with metal studs and a brass bell. The mask features a stern expression with closed eyes and a wide mouth. How wild and ferocious do you have to look? Depends what you’re trying to accomplish. This mask, encrusted with teeth, fur, human hair, and countless protuberances resembling horns or tusks, was used in ceremonies performed to command authority, administer justice, and detect wrongdoers. The little bells added an aural element to the powerful appearance of the mask itself. Gallery G250 The Mary Ruth Weisel Endowment for Africa, Oceania, and the Americas and gift of Kate and Ken Anderson