Goli: Johnston/Young Collection

This item is part of the Johnston/Young Collection. It is featured in the book "Afrika Traditional and Modern African Art."

The Baule resisted the invasion of French colonials longer than any other West African people. They managed to uphold their practices, traditions and beliefs during this dark period. Today the proud Baule people of the Ivory Coast number well over a million strong. Artistically they are responsible for 3 groups of masks : the "gba gba, bonu amuen and the goli." Each mask grouping is associated with a corresponding ceremony. The Kple kple pictured here belongs to the mask group of Goli. The most popular Goli is used as a symbol of fertility during agricultural and commemorative ceremonies. The goli is also paraded during the occasions of a new harvest, the visit of dignitaries, or at the funerals of notables. Borrowed from the Wan tribe after 1900, the face is round and flat, the eyes oval and the mouth rectangular. The Kple kple is topped by a crown of two horns. The round head represents the nurturing sun and the horns represent the powerful buffalo. During rituals masks are believed to be a conduit for supernatural forces to interact with the members. These spirits can either have a negative or positive affect on the tribes affairs. This mask type as with all Baule masks are only worn by men.

The growing popularity of the Goli as a work of art is directly responsible of the increase of its production way and beyond that of ceremonial use. The positive is that new and aspiring artisans have their chance at showing off their talents and secondly more individuals are able to acquire said items. On the other hand, in their haste to satisfy the demand tradition has taken a back seat! The result are masks that stray from traditional coloration and oft times traditional form. The Johnston/Young Goli was paraded about 35 years ago. It is true to form from the black, tan and red pigmentation to the three hand made eye holes to the well curved horns that surmount the top. This authentic selection has been preserve exceedingly well.

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