Double-Faced Helmet Mask (Wanyugo)

Ivory Coast

A Senufo Wanyugo helmet mask defined by lateral force, with opposing crocodilian heads locked in a continuous outward tension.

Description

A helmet mask constructed on a cylindrical core from which the composition drives laterally into two opposing crocodilian heads.

Each head projects outward with jaws fully articulated, the teeth cut in repeated triangular sequence to form continuous serrated edges. These opposing jaws establish a fixed tension across the horizontal axis, holding the composition in a state of controlled extension rather than symmetry alone.

At the centre, a vertical element projects forward between the heads, interrupting the lateral movement and anchoring the composition along a secondary axis.

Above, a series of small seated figures spans the crown, physically bridging the two lateral projections. These elements are not applied but integrated, binding the structure and stabilising the outward force of the composition.

Surface is mottled, with retained pigment across the heads and central body. Patina is stable, with light wear at raised planes consistent with handling.

Context

Within Senufo carving, Wanyugo masks operate as protective forms, defined by expansion, tension, and controlled aggression. The extension into opposing heads transforms the mask from a frontal object into a spatial structure, engaging width as its primary field of action.

Provenance

From the Felice Maffei Collection

Acquired in Ivory Coast, 1971

Available on private enquiry.