Wè (Guéré) Masks: a Mask Tradition of Western Côte d'Ivoire

If Dan masks are known for smooth, restrained faces, then Wè masks — which also come from the west of Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer) — usually make a first impression of intensity: protruding horns, gaping mouths and fangs, hung with all kinds of materials. This appearance is not meant to frighten tourists; it is closely tied to the duties a mask carries in its community.

Who are the Wè: Guéré and Wobé

According to research by Medina and colleagues presented in 2010 at an Iberian conference of African studies, the Wè live in the tropical forest of western Côte d'Ivoire between the Cavally and Sassandra rivers, close to the Liberian border, and belong to the Krou cultural group. The colonial administration divided them into the Wobé in the north and the Guéré in the south, though some scholars regard them as a single people. The southern Guéré live around Toulépleu, Blolequin, Guiglo and Duékoué. In eastern Liberia, related groups are also known as the Krahn.

The mask is "the law"

The same study notes that in traditional Wè thought, social norms are embodied by a series of "great masks" covering war, justice, peace and everyday social life — a system called Srihaké (the law of the masks). The mask (gla) refers not just to the face but to the whole formed by the wearer, the accessories and the face, and is seen as an intermediary between the living and the ancestors. In the past, masks also played a role in mediating disputes between villages and clans.

The researchers divide Wè masks into four broad categories:

Some masks are subject to viewing restrictions. As an outsider, it is enough to understand that "not every occasion is open to outsiders"; there is no need to press for details.

Reading form through museum collections

• Warrior mask: a Wè mask in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is considered a warrior-type mask, with protruding horns and a mouth half the size of the face, and added materials such as animal hide, hair, feathers and animal teeth. The museum explains that such performers represent public order and justice.
• Mask with a female face: a piece at the Princeton University Art Museum depicts an idealised woman, with a red-painted nose and cheeks and brass bells and an iron chain hanging from the jaw. Although it shows a female face, it was commissioned and worn by men, for occasions such as harvest festivals and funerals.
• Layer upon layer of materials: notes on a piece at the Indianapolis Museum of Art explain that such masks often begin as a plain wood carving and keep gaining ornaments as they are passed down through generations; the Wè believe this increases their power. The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin also points out that Wè masks have no single fixed function, and their meaning must be understood within the full performance of dance, music and costume.

A sense of proportion when admiring and collecting

A mask in a museum has lost its original raffia skirt, cape and headdress; it is only part of a complete character. When buying, ask clearly whether it is contemporary craft or claimed to be an old piece; the latter raises questions of provenance and export rules, which you should check with the official authorities first. In 2022, Guiglo also held the first Boyé Gôh festival dedicated to Wè culture — public events like this are a better setting for getting to know Wè culture.

One line for Asian readers

The "intensity" of a Wè mask is really the outward expression of a duty; once you can tell whether it stands for order, peace or entertainment, you will no longer see it simply as a frightening face.

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References: Medina, Koui & Soriano — La Srihake o la Ley de las máscaras entre los Wê de Costa de Marfil (2010); The Met — Mask (gela or glaè), Wè peoples; Princeton University Art Museum — Mask, We; Chazen Museum of Art — Female bushspirit mask; Wikipedia — Face mask (We people); Africanews — Boyé Gôh festival (2022)