Statues --> Africa

The African mask chosen by Fabrizio Galli is derived from the style Gouro of Ivory Coast and it is the oldest traditional style. Although the masks are well-known and created all over the world we can consider Africa as their motherland. In primordial age the masks were painted in the center of the continent and it was the perion that the Eastern Sahara was still inhabited by the local population. These population created the images on the walls of Tibesti, the highest mountain in the desert.

In the most partb of Africa the mask is still a privileged expression that gave rise to an impressive variety of shapes, materials and styles. Mainly in the colonial period Europe was interested in African mask and exported them in their galleries and museums. Especially in the last century Occidental rediscovered their aesthetic and artistic dimension.

However their original functionality in sacred ceremonies, through the use of costumes, jewelry, hair styles and tricks has not been considered.

Normally the material selected for the ancient African masks is the wood that is often used with other materials like vegetable fiber, leather, resin, shells, bone, ivory.

The choice of these substances is not coincidental: they are selected according to the sacredness of the masks or the symbolism that it should express. The sculptor usually lives outside the village and must respect strict prohibitions, which led him to submit to acts of purification. The ancient mask of Ivory Coast is still used in some rituals concerning the annual planting and harvesting, but also in life-cycle ceremonies such as initiation and death. In these cases the masks symbolize supernatural and sacred beings and are worn by village's leaders.