ANTHROPOZOOMORPHIC MASK
Baoulé culture, Ivory Coast
First half of the 20th century
Copper alloy
Height: 12.5 cm; Width: 11.5 cm

Model made of copper alloy, produced using the lost casting technique. Its circular eyes are rimmed and openwork, its protruding ears are slightly drooping, and its eyebrow arches merge to form a prominent, threadlike nasal bridge.
He sports a wide smile showing off his small, sharp, saw-toothed teeth.

The lost-wax casting technique has a particularity: there can be no series, each piece is unique.
Indeed, the sculpture is first modeled in wax by the sculptor-founder. He assembles and incises the image that will become the bronze. Once finished, it is covered with sand and clay which, once dry, forms the mold. A cavity is hollowed out so that, when the mold is fired, the wax melts and escapes. This is called the lost-wax casting. The copper alloy is then poured into the mold. Once hardened, the clay assembly is broken to release the object.

Text and photos © FCP CORIDON

Ref.: 6752