Mask

This mask features an elongated face and nose and a small, terse mouth with teeth, characteristics which bear a strong resemblance to Kalibari shrine head carvings from the Niger Delta. Additionally, the use of blue paint and the crest which emerges from the top of the head recall masks from the Guro and Grebo peoples of central Cote d’Ivoire. From the early 19th century to the 1940s, Kru men, whose original home was Liberia and western Côte d’Ivoire, were hired by the British to work in the merchant marines. Consequently, these men traveled throughout the west coast of Africa. Reports indicate that the Kru held masquerades at the various locations the ships took them; thus, the few Kru masks that survive show a combination of styles from these West African regions.