Wood mask, 'Night Guardian'
Slender and graceful, this mask is a peaceful presence. Triangular plates of embossed brass heighten its elongated symmetry, adding textural interest. Among the Dan people of the Ivory Coast, such masks are used to settle strife and protect newborn babies from malevolent spirits. Victor Yao Delanyo sculpts the piece from sese wood and finishes it with dark tan polish. He names it Kitiwa, an Akan word meaning "small.
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