Africa

Tourist junk can be desirable

Commercial Guro
Commercial Guro

Q: I found this mask at Goodwill. It is carved from one piece of dark wood. 18″ x 6″. There is red color under the black where it has chipped off. It had a string in back and looks like it was a wall hanger.  Rob, 599

A: You have a Guro (a tribe from Ivory Coast, West Africa) tourist mask. I think it looks pretty good despite its poor condition. You can find lots of better ones on the market, though not always at a fair price. The craftsmen who make these masks are highly skilled and often quite artistic. I know people who specialize in collecting these commercial Guro masks. Usually very handsome in color combinations and finish, the headdresses come in a surprising number subjects.  C

5 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

I accept the Privacy Policy