A Baule celebration mask collected in the Tiebissou region, Cote d’Ivoire. Certificate of origin and provenance. "Portrait masks embody the core Baule sculptural style that is echoed in figural sculpture and decorative arts. They also have provided Baule sculptors with their prime opportunity for artistic invention, and the corpus demonstrates enormous formal diversity. This diversity is often apparent in imaginative decorative passages extending above the face […] Such masks appeared as the final sequence of an operatic public entertainment known as Mblo. Mblo performances consist of a succession of dances that escalate in complexity and importance, culminating ultimately in tributes to the community's most distinguished member. Individuals honored in this way are depicted by a mask that is conceived of as their artistic double or namesake." Lit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum Bulletin: Recent Acquisitions, 2004-2005 (Fall 2005), p. 47.