• Bassa People, Liberia, Africa

• Early 20th century

• Wood

• 9.75 x 4.25 in. / 25 x 11 cm

• Ex Peace Corps collection

Bassa sculpture was strongly influenced by their neighbors the Dan and Kpelle. Like these groups, the Bassa had several female and male societies, including the Chu-den-zo, to whom geh-naw masks belonged. With graceful, gliding dances, the geh-naw masqueraders entertained spectators when initiated boys returned from bush camp, when important guests visited the village, and on other festive occasions. The dancer wore the mask, which was attached to a woven framework, on his forehead, and looked through a slit in the fabric that was part of the costume covering his head and upper body. Because they were fixed on a framework, the interior of most such masks shows no signs of wear (Hahner-Herzog, Kecskési, and Vajda, African Masks, 1998).

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