A CARVED WOOD MASK, GYÈ, YAURE CULTURE, CÔTE D'IVOIRE, LATE 19TH TO EARLY 20TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

Published: Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Masken der Welt: Sammelstücke aus fünf Jahrtausenden, 1999, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, p. 84, no. 63.

Exhibited: Museum der Völker (formerly Haus der Völker, Museum für Kunst und Ethnographie), Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria, permanent exhibition, 2008-2012.

Appraisal: A copy of an appraisal by Jean David, noted expert for art from Africa and Oceania, dating from 8 November 2007, inventory number ‘4’, with an estimated value of EUR 55,000 or approx. EUR 79,500 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies the lot.

The ovoid face enclosed by a serrated border, with a serene expression, downcast eyes below arched brows and eyelids colored in kaolin, the elongated nose stopping above pursed lips, and surmounted by a pair of upturned horns above four faceted and ridged horns. The sides pierced with six apertures for suspension.

Art Loss Register: Certificate reference number S00266173 from 16 December 2025. A copy of this document accompanies this lot.

Provenance: Kathrin and Andreas Lindner private collection, Munich, Germany. Galerie Brettschneider, Munich, 1998. The stand with an inventory number ‘KMA 008’. Collection of Gerhard Merzeder (b. 1963), internationally published and acclaimed fashion and portrait photographer, Vienna, Austria, assembled since the 1980s.
Kathrin and Andreas Lindner are avid collectors of art originating from Africa, Oceania, and North America. Part of their collection was sold at Sotheby’s, Paris, on 8 June 2007, with a corresponding catalog titled ‘Collection Andreas et Kathrin Lindner: Arts D'Afrique, D'Oceanie Et D'Amerique du Nord June 8, 2007’.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear, traces of use, natural cracks, three of the horns reattached, small chips, losses and flaking of the pigments.

Weight: 1 kg
Dimensions: Height 46.5 cm

Yaure masks are renowned for their delicacy and refinement. The best-known Yaure masks depict human faces combined with zoomorphic elements, known as gyè. With the help of these masks, the Yaure hoped to influence the supernatural forces (yu), which can harm humans but are also able to ensure their well-being. These masks are regarded as emblems of yu, extremely dangerous beings that must be handled with great caution and kept away from women.

Deaths that threaten social order are the primary reasons for their appearance. Through their dances, they restore the community’s social balance and accompany the deceased to the ancestral realm.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Yaure mask with horns, Côte d’Ivoire, 34.5 cm tall, in the British Museum, museum number Af1954,+23.3480. Compare a related Yaure mask with horns, Côte d’Ivoire, 40 cm tall, in the African Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, object number 73-7-165.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 6 March 2024, lot 35
Price: EUR 151,200 or approx. EUR 153,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Yaure mask, Côte d’Ivoire
Expert remark: Compare the similar form, pigmented eyelids, and color of the wood. Note the size (40 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 30 October 2018, lot 35
Price: EUR 42,500 or approx. EUR 50,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Yauré mask, Côte d’Ivoire
Expert remark: Compare the similar form, pursed lips, expression, and size (49 cm).