Wear a
ferocious-looking bird mask and people tend to listen to you—that’s the way the
Krahn see it anyway. A Kru people residing in Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, the
Krahn were historically hunters, farmers, and fishermen living in a
loosely-organized network of clans, each with a headman and a council that served
as a kind of governing body. Worn during community mediations, masks modeled on
powerful animals, served an important sociopolitical function—letting everyone
know just who was boss.
Krahn masks are also made to appease the bush spirits, on whom tribesmen
depend for protection. It’s said that these pushy spirits often appear in
people’s dreams demanding that ceremonial masks be carved in their honor, and
as anyone knows—what a bush spirit wants, a bush spirit gets.
Details and Dimensions
Hand carved with a worn-finish.
25" l, 7" w
