War
mask. The Bete are an agricultural group who live in relatively major villages in southwestern
part of the country. They grow what is needed for
a subsistence economy and also have linked to the market economy and much of their effort
is devoted to the cultivation of cacao and coffee. They place particular importance on the
hunt. Religion,
omnipresent in Bete life, aims to maintain a harmonious relationship between nature and
the ancestors who are responsible for the welfare of the tribe. Only the western Bete are known to have a masking
tradition. To overcome hostile forces that
hunters encounter in the underbrush and forests, their masks offer magical protection by
instilling fear and terror in potential enemies. Masqueraders perform
during burials, at the end of the mourning period, or in honor of important people.
Sometimes they or one of their attendants carries a lance. This weapon possibly points to
the mask’s original function – that of a war mask.
Material: wood, tacks
Size: 11½”x7½”x5”
