documentation report: grebo mask (object number:...
TRANSCRIPT
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Documentation Report: Grebo Mask
(Object Number: 75.14.1)
Denis Cormano
Linda Dobke
Azalé Ehn
Constantine Mbungong
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ...................................................................................................4
1.Introduction..........................................................................................5
2. The Grebo mask – a description .......................................................6
2.1 The physical dimensions of the Grebo mask ............................8
2.2 The Biography of the object ....................................................10
2.3 General condition ....................................................................11
2.4 Earlier treatments and exhibition history .................................12
2.5 Our treatments and alterations ................................................12
3. African masks – a cultural context .................................................15
3.1 Woodwork – African carving technique ...................................17
3.2.1 Cultural context – the Grebo tribe ........................................18
3.2.2 Cultural context – in relation to this Grebo mask..................20
3.3 Ground for comparison – commonalities to other masks ........22
4. The future – on repatriation, ownership and accessibility ...........25
4.1 Recommendations for future handling, storage and exhibition26
4.2. Value, meaning and educational potential in the museum.....27
4.3 A tool for future research .........................................................28
5. Summary and conclusion ................................................................30
6. References .......................................................................................32
7. List of illustrations: ..........................................................................34
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Abstract
This museum storage documentation report is dealing with a wooden mask from the
Grebo tribe of southeastern Liberia, catalogue number 75.14.01 in the collections of
the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. The work that we outline in here has
been divided into a practical part; in which we document the objects current state and
apply preventive conservation methods and one socio-cultural part; in which we
investigate the Grebo, mask making and the traditional setting surrounding the mask.
Finally, we discuss the future of the object and its possible use for the museum
today. Thereby we invite the reader to partake in the entire working process; from the
initial documentation process up until the finishing line where the very nature of the
mask as a museum object is questioned and where we pose suggestions for further
research. Such research would be helpful not only in order to widen the
understanding of Grebo culture at large, but also to answer the museological
questions we have posed about this mask.
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1.Introduction
This documentation report focuses on an African mask stored at the Museum of
World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden. The information about this mask is very
sparse and the knowledge we begin our investigation with is very limited. The little we
do know, from the storage documentation card [see. Fig. A] is that it was brought to
the museum in 1975 by Kjell Zetterström, the previous director of the museum, and
that it is supposed to come from an ethnic group called the Grebo. This means that
we don’t know anything about how and why the mask was collected, what its cultural
context was and that it in a way is reduced to a testimony of a the more classical
notions of how to register and handle objects in ethnographic museum collections.
The in-depth information about the object has been lost with the person who
collected it and took it out of its original context. With this documentation report we
will try to fill this gap and bring together the necessary information accessible, to
correctly understand, handle and work with the object both the museum and storage
setting.
This report will be divided into the three parts which we have chosen to focus our
work around. Firstly, we will look at the mask objectively and record its current status.
Secondly, we will research the Grebo and other African wood work of interest for this
report, to outline what cultural context it stems from. With this in mind we will thirdly
produce some practical suggestions on how to handle the mask in the future, both
from a physical and a semiotic perspective.
Please note that our use of the word mask is corresponding to definition of a face
covering part of, what in some cases happen to be an overall costume.
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Fig. B. Detail of right eye, showing visible residue and tissue
2. The Grebo mask – a description
The mask at hand is an object kept at the storages of the Museum of World Culture
in Gothenburg. It is object no. 94824, listed under catalogue no. 75.14.01. It was
brought to the museum by Kjell Zetterström, the director of the Ethnographical
museum at the time. The object is a hand carved wooden mask from Liberia, made
out of one piece of wood, and comes,
according to the catalogue card, from
the Grebo tribe in Southeast Liberia.
The mask is dark brown, with its main
features being a bulging forehead, a
long and straight nose with marked
nasal wings, a slit-shaped pair of eyes,
a long beard and a lack of mouth. Also,
there are carved ridges extending from
a knob on the top of the head,
Fig. A. Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.1
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stretching all the way down to the jaw; a decoration possibly suggesting some kind of
braids. On a more detailed level, the eyebrow ridge is accentuated with a band of
cloth, to which kauri shells have been stitched. Some of the shells appear to be
missing and there are now a total of seven shells still attached to the ribbon. In the
centre of the forehead we find a small tuft of black hair/fur, still attached to its original
skin/leather. This hairpiece has been nailed to the mask through the band with the
kauri shells. The slitted eyes are overlaid with cut-out ovals of dark-stained, silver
coloured metal which we believe to be aluminium. These are also slitted; these holes
are a bit smaller than the underlying eyeholes carved in the wood. Just below the
nose, a folded band of white and blue striped cloth, nailed to the mask, covers a
lower part of the face horizontally. To this piece of cloth a row of long freefalling hair
has been attached through a sewn braiding technique, covering the entire chin. This
beard or long moustache is in a somewhat tangled and matted condition. Below this
hairpiece, on the lowest end of the mask, an uneven patch of pale but thick skin,
covered with thin and coarse hairs, is attached to the mask. These details are the
general features of the face of the mask. The edge of the mask has been perforated
with unevenly spaced, drilled holes, and the reverse side of the mask is hollowed out.
The overall method used to attach cloth, skin, metal and shell ornaments to the
wooden frame is small nails, which are now in a rusty condition.
On the very surface of the mask there are traces of an unknown, dried substance.
This is specifically noticeable on the cheek areas and around the eyebrow line. In
these areas there are subtle but apparent traces of fibres of bright red cloth. Such
traces are also found, more noticeably, around the metal eye plates, sticking out
between the metal and the wood underneath. The nose, the chin, the forehead and
the “braids” exhibit no traces of either this dried substance or red cloth.
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2.1 The physical dimensions of the Grebo mask
Attribute Measure
Mask height
Mask width
Mask weight
Length of each eye
Height of each eye
Length of metal
plates
Height of metal
plates
350 mm
200 mm
1068 g
approx. 71 mm
approx. 30 mm
approx. 45 mm
approx. 21 mm
Length of nose
Width of nose
Moustache length
104 mm
42 mm
350 mm
(stretched)
Moustache ribbon
length
310 mm
Length of forehead
hair
80 mm
Chin patch width
Chin patch height
140 mm
47 mm
Fig. C. The front of the Grebo
mask
Fig. D. The inside of the Grebo mask
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Carvings length, left 270 mm
Carvings length,
right
Drilled holes,
diameter
290 mm
5 mm
Number of holes,
total
Kauri shells, right
side
Kauri shells, left side
Kauri shells, middle
12
2
4
1
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2.2 The Biography of the object
The director of the Gothenburg Museum of Ethnography at the time, Kjell
Zetterström, was in 1966 asked to become the new director of the Tubman Center of
African Culture in Robertsport, Grand Gape Mount Country, Liberia. He accepted this
offer and came to work there from November 1966 until October 1970. During this
period he also performed field work in Liberia, employed by the Liberian American
Swedish Minerals Company, and focused his research on the region in which he and
his wife lived - the Yamein Mano area.1 It is during this period that the Grebo mask
was collected2, and as unsatisfying as it is, this is all we know about the acquisition of
this mask.
As mentioned earlier, the information gathered from the catalogue card [see fig. A]
and the description of the entire collection shows no information about its history prior
to arriving at the Museum of Ethnography in 1975. The collection is consisting of
twenty-three objects, of which this mask is registered as the first one, catalogued
under the number 75.14.1. It arrived at the Gothenburg Museum of Ethnography on
the 6th of November that very year and was indexed by Zetterström himself, on the
20th two weeks later. From the register book we know that the collection is consisting
of other masks from the different parts of Liberia and was bought for a total of 3.500
Swedish Krona. The specific details of the price of this mask are unknown. The
object biography therefore is somewhat of a mystery. There is no information of at
what date it was collected, on what location the acquisition took place, by whom this
mask was constructed or at what time. It could have been carved for usage in
religious practices or with the purpose to be sold to a collector. It might be a copy of
another mask or a unique piece of craft. Speaking of some kind of “original” context
in this case is therefore slightly misleading since the mask could have been carved
specifically to be a part of a museum collection.
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2.3 General condition
At the starting point of our examination and research of this Grebo mask, we estimate
it to be in a fair to good condition. There are no cracks in the wood which is solid
throughout and not brittle at all. The wood has not been attacked by any worms or
other vermin, that otherwise might have damaged the main structure of the piece.
The more sensitive parts of the mask are the add-ons; such as the ribbons, shells
and hairpieces.
The ribbons are frilled and appear to be in a quite fragile state, at present there is a
lack of probably two kauri shells on the right side of the eyebrow area, as well as
where the shells are missing, and one can still see traces of the original stitching. The
large tests of hair covering the lower part of the mask are also in a more fragile state
since they are tangled and millimetre-sized parts of them fall off when the mask is
handled. This beard on the right side of the mask has gotten detached from what
could be estimated to be its original setting, along the white and blue ribbon. When
working with the mask the braiding on that specific side of the hairpiece is sliding
down slowly, but can easily be put back to its original position.
The thicker skin patch on the chin is nearly bald on the right side; however this may
be its original appearance. The presence of the red cloth fibres across the cheek and
eyebrow have been an object prone to many discussions within our team. The area
may indicate that these parts once were cloth-covered; another possibility is that it
was once wiped or cleaned with this fabric and some fibres were transferred, it might
also have been stored wrapped in this red cloth. Unfortunately these are just
speculations on our part. The dried, dark substance covering that very area might
simply be dirt, but it may also be remnants of the original design such as clay
covering. The dark stains on the metal eyes plates might also be traces of this
substance as part of the original design, although this is uncertain. Signs of wear
such as body oils from sweat are not evident inside the mask and around the holes
on the edges of the mask there is no apparent sign of usage. From this we imagine
that it was only worn a few times if at all, but we do not know this for sure.
The only unambiguous damage/dirt is the absence of three kauri shells on the left
side, the rusted condition of the nails and traces of sand and dust in the crevices
surrounding the eyes. There are neither apparent repairs, nor evidence of biological
damage. The inside of the mask is in good condition, its absence of stains and wear
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suggesting the mask suffered little wear. Likewise, it is uncertain if the numerous
chips and scratches on both inside and outside surfaces of the mask are all due to
the roughness of the carving or later damage occurring during transportation or other
handling.
2.4 Earlier treatments and exhibition history
The previous treatments made on this mask are unknown, as it was acquired four
years before the in depth system used to document conservation history or other
alterations made to objects in storage at the Ethnographical museum of Gothenburg,
was introduced in 1978.3 According to Jan Amnehäll; conservator and head of
collections and conservation at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, the
object has not been exhibited or researched further since its arrival at the museum
and most probably hasn’t been altered in any way.4 Any larger alterations made after
1978 would have been noted on the catalogue card and the brief description made
on the 20th of November in 1975, two weeks after its initial arrival, is still applicable.
Before moving to the current storage facilities, in 2000, the mask was kept in a non-
climate controlled environment in which the space was in a constant state of flux.
During both winter and summer the humidity was at a higher level than the rest of the
year. The temperatures were shifting as well, with a high temperature during the
summer season and substantially colder at wintertime.5 A storage that shifts both
temperature and humidity is especially hazardous for wood materials6, although this
Grebo mask has seemed to have been enduring such circumstances well and no
cracks can be found.
2.5 Our treatments and alterations
The Grebo mask is made out of wood and other materials that are susceptible to
fungi or insect attack. To preserve its natural state in the future it should be stored in
an environment with temperatures under which insects prone to wood cannot
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survive. Humidity levels are also critical because air too moist might soften the wood,
weaken it or cause fungi, while air too dry may cause it to crack over time. These
criteria are met in today’s storage facilities at the Museum of World Culture.
As the knowledge about this specific mask is very limited, we believe it to be
preferable to keep it as close to its current state as possible. Any larger restoration or
cleaning project may distort the appearance and a deep cleaning may remove
material that might be of importance in future research. Also, the lack of data on this
mask, or others like it, makes it difficult to estimate how far from its initial look the
mask is today, i.e. the metal eye plates being polished. Therefore we are trying to
maintain the integrity, physical and visual appearance of the mask in line with
conservator Andrew Oddy, who writes that “cleaning, stabilization and restoration
should be done while adding and removing minimum material”.7 This is why we place
the larger importance on the pure conservation of this object, the term conservation
meaning “the means by which the true nature of an object is preserved”.8 We are
aiming for retaining the integrity of the mask as far as possible with the minimal
removal of materials and minimal additions. We also strive towards keeping the
different materials in this mask in a stabilized state as possible.
At the 23rd of February 2009 we began the cleaning of this mask under consultation
of conservator Anna Javér. The process began by cleaning it very lightly with the tip
of a soft brush, while vacuuming the particles removed. We kept the front of the face
un-brushed as the sand, dust and other particles might be parts of the mask in some
way or hold information that might be of usage in the future. We then untangled the
beard slightly so when exhibited in an upward position the beard would fall a bit
straighter. We used fine tweezers to remove what appeared to be old cocoon parts,
remnants of spider web and dust from the dreaded locks. Also, a dead spider was
removed from inside the right eye.
A topic for discussion and further investigation has been the long beard of the mask.
Judging by its appearance we initially thought it to be goat or gorilla hair, perhaps
even human. But after guidance from Anna Javér we made the decision to burn
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some samples of the beard.9 For this experiment we clearly wanted to avoid taking a
sample from the mask, instead we used frail parts of the beard that already had fallen
off during handling. By classifying the smell of the burnt material one could approach
an answer to this question. The joint perception was that the smell was distinctively
cellulose-like, which may point to the suggestion that the beard isn’t made out of
animal fur at all, but of plant fibers of some sort.10
A problem with the beard was also that some of the braiding on the right side of the
mask had started to slide down further and further, which in the future might lead to
that large wisps of hair would fall off permanently. As a precautionary action we
decided to re-attach the right side of the beard to one of the nails by simply tying
them together lightly, in a way that isn’t a permanent change or a larger wear and
tear to the mask. We used a brown sewing thread, type: 775/26NM.
But let’s move beyond the condition and detailing of the mask towards implementing
a holistic approach, including researching the Grebo tribe, the potential symbolical
meaning of the mask and its biography so far. It is through such investigations that
one might comprehend its place in history and its future place in the storages of the
Museum of World Culture.
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3. African masks – a cultural context
The African masks we are used to seeing in museums and galleries are usually only
a small part of an outfit that in its entirety comprehends mask, costume and
sometimes accessories. Due to lack of interest or understanding on the part of
collectors, only the mask, without associated costume, is collected. The implications
of this ignorance of the original context of the mask becomes clear if we consider that
it is often the costume, not the mask, which provides most information to the
audience regarding which entity or concept it is meant to portray. Costume and other
accessories are therefore very important, sometimes even more important than the
mask itself.
Different masks have different roles and functions. Although this is not a general rule,
they often tent to express a cosmos or a world system. Also, they can be used to
recall or dramatize important events, like founding episodes of the world and the
humanity, of the clan, or of a particular institution.11 The ritual masks are the best
known, as scholars tend to consider them the original and most interesting type of
mask. Nevertheless, if looking at numbers ritual masks are probably not in majority.
In many cases, the mask is functioning rather as some sort of practical device in
ceremonies. This is particularly evident when considering their role in funerary rituals
or in ceremonies marking the end of the period of mourning. There are also many
other purposes which they can serve such as judging disputes between individuals,
collecting of debts or delivering messages. Other masks serve to disguise the wearer
when hunting, so that he can get closer to the prey. In such cases, the hunter tries to
look as similar as possible to an animal.12
Overall, it is difficult to trace the relation between the form and the meaning of a
mask, and generally “the morphology does not, in any way, betray the proper
function of a particular mask”.13 Some characteristics of particular spirits are
grounded in mythical and artistic traditions, which help to recognize them when
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portrayed. The relation between mask and meaning is often symbolical, allowing
people to associate an image with the notion of a certain spirit.14 Therefore, its
appearance can be related to dreams or visions rather than artistic canon.
Nonetheless, the community must recognize and accept the result as a
representation of the intended spirit in order for the mask to be successfully
incorporated into society.
Many masks are used during ritual dancing events, which serve, both directly and
indirectly, to facilitate the change of an individual or a group.15 Mask essentially
accompany the middle phase of rituals, that of change. It is necessary to underline
that rituals can involve symbolic handling which can go on for several months and
are often characterized by adoption or revelation of knowledge. In such occasions
the ‘teacher’ can be a mask, as strong emotional shocks are a common and integral
part of rituals.16
During rituals, the masks aren’t seen as representing actors, but as present spirits. It
is, however, incorrect to generalize and say that the wearer becomes what he is
representing. The relation between dancer, mask, event and spirit seems to range
from simple dramatization to an ‘actual transformation’, including a number of cases
where the ‘supernatural’ power or element is present, completely or in part, in the
mask, its accessories or the costume.17 If we try to understand the meaning of
masks, we must not limit its communicative aspects to the dance. The aesthetical
dimensions of a mask are also very important. A dance is always a performance, and
as Pernet reminds us, not everything must culminate in a meaning.18
To conclude, we have to keep in mind that not every member of an audience
experiences the mask with equal intensity. The presence and dance of a mask does
not mean the same for the people even if they are part of the same community. Each
spectator participates in the performance according to his or her level of knowledge.
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[17]
The presence of figures and presence of spirits are received in an individual way, as
in Europe, where the presence of i.e. the Catholic pope does not mean the same, or
indeed as much, for everybody. Differences of attitudes and sensibility are inevitable.
A mask which for religious reasons inspires authority to someone, can be seen by
others as simply the marking of an association, as a status symbol, or as pure
entertainment.19
3.1 Woodwork – African carving technique
Wood is the most common material used for African Masks. Masks made out of other
materials such as metal, fibers, tissues and other, are common only in certain areas
of the continent. It is rather the decoration of the masks that is most varied, additional
components might consist of aluminum, leather, animal or human teeth and hair, fur,
horns, feathers, glass pearls and other glass fragments, seeds, fruit stones, cloth,
buttons and kauri shells, to mention a few. Masks are usually carved out of one
single piece of wood and the artists usually have the final shape of the mask in mind
before starting to carve it.20
Generally the wood type used comes from the local area in which it is made. Some
trees are chosen due to their symbolical meaning, but generally the determining
factor is the characteristics of the wood. The tools of a carver are traditional, using a
relatively long hand adze, a combined knife and gouge, which need a lot of practice
and skill to use.21
Usually the wood is left to dry before it is cut into pieces of necessary size. The
carver then uses the adze to give the wood a general shape. Once this is done, its
surface is worked out more accurately with the knife. Finally, the surface of the mask
is polished with wrinkled leaves used as emery paper. To finish off the work, it is
smeared with a coating composed of harsh or oils which tend to darken the surface
of the wood. Nowadays, using mordent is also common. They may also expose the
mask to smoke in attempting to obtain darker shades of brown. Masks can also be
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[18]
painted and for that purpose only organic materials were used in the past, but since
several decades, these pigments have been substituted by imported oil colors.22
3.2.1 Cultural context – the Grebo tribe
The term Grebo is used to refer to an ethnic group or a subgroup within the larger
Kru group inhibiting the southeastern part of Liberia in West Africa.23 The Grebo live
on the eastern seaboard and have a unique history due to the fact that the region
was isolated from its surroundings up until the 60’s, this because of the geographical
circumstances of rivers, swamps and impassable deltas.24 Still there are many cross-
tribe references and influences across the region25, especially with their closest
neighbors to the north, the Kru and the Dan, since it is through their regions that one
for a long time had to pass to communicate with the Grebo.26 When looking at
sculptures and carved wood work from across this region, these mixed influences are
highly visible and it can be challenging to tell them apart.
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Fig. E. Map of West Africa, highlighting Liberia
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[19]
The very term “Grebo” is, in a way,
artificial, originating in censuses made
in 1962 and 1974 by the Liberian
government. During these periods, the
indigenous population of the country
was divided into 16 ethnic groups or
tribes, but with little concern for cultural
and linguistic differences or already
existing loyalties. The categorization of
the tribes have over time become actual
ones as they, especially in rural areas
and abroad, are used by individuals to
define themselves in relation to
outsiders. Still, the original loyalties and sense of identity for a large number of
Liberians lie not in government-imposed tribes but in small groups such as
chiefdoms.27 Thus, Grebo is a recent, imposed label on a number of diverse smaller
groups. The name Grebo is not used by the people concerned, although it does
contain a faction that call themselves Glebo.28
The Grebo are well-known for their carved wooden masks which were worn in
ceremonies and masquerades, often mediating or propitiating the presence of
spirits.29 These can serve different purposes such as judging disputes between
individuals, the collecting of debts, funerals and/or other feasts.30 In the Liberian
hinterland wood carving in general is of particular importance, and its ritual and
ceremonial significance is accompanied by taboos. Artists and craftsmen specialized
in wood has therefore a high status in Grebo society.31
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[20]
3.2.2 Cultural context – in relation to this Grebo mask
On a general level, this specific mask has some common features with other masks
of surrounding regions. [See p. 13, fig. G] Researching the mask in detail might tell
us the precise origin of it, or its appurtenance to a specific style. Such details could
be: contour of the mask, the relation of sizes of the face parts, concave and granted
surfaces, the shape of eyes and eye-brows, of the nose, of mouth and lips, ears,
teeth, hairstyle, paintings and scarification scheme. Here, it has to be remembered
that the “African” notion of style is not easily compared to the “European” one. Styles
do not have such chronological pertinence and therefore the time of provenance or
traces of aesthetic influences are intricate and very difficult to track.
The similitude ‘one tribe, one
style’ is misleading,
especially when the
contemporary appearance of
many styles can exist within
the same tribe, for example
the Dan. The stylistic
diffusion that does exist is not
shaped by geographical
position of the ethnic groups,
but rather a result of
economical and political relations, collective institutions, religious currents and
everything else which is of importance in cultural exchanges.
Therefore stylistic similarities are results of relatively subjective observations and are
not particularly scientific, if not accompanied by solid reasons. Still some conclusions
might be drawn from the sources at hand. Meneghini for example, states that the
Grebo, because of their isolation, have been regarded as barren of expressive art
forms, and that the knowledge of this tribe and their art is inadequate and highly in
need of further research. He mentions that Kurt Krieger’s catalogue, for example,
consists of Grebo wood work that isn’t correctly attributed to the tribe. Meneghini’s
survey of the bibliography around the Grebo is only identifying one kind of mask as
definitely Grebo, namely the abstract type with a platform base serving as the facial
Fig. G. Liberian Masks from the Loma, the Mano and the Kran tribes
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structure with sets of circular eyes, sometimes several pairs.32 This type of mask is
according to Visona’s very similar description, the ones functioning as military masks
within the Grebo and other Kru-speaking areas, usually brightly painted and with the
same facial features, attached to, rather than carved into, the elongated wooden
plane.33 From this information we might suppose that our mask isn’t a military mask,
since it has a totally different structure and is constructed according to other
principles.
We also conclude that this anthropomorphic mask is male, since it clearly can be
distinguished from what Meneghini calls “the gentle face of the female ideal”.34 Other
information of value in relation to this mask is confirming the use of materials.
Meneghini mentions that the Grebo uses a wide variety of materials to decorate their
masks: beadings, kauri shells, metal and nails, to name a few; all to be found in our
mask. Different sorts of hair, which we also have included in the construction of the
mask is perhaps more used by the Grebo than by any other tribe of the hinterland.
The extensive use of a variation of dyes is also a reminder that the Grebo region is
an area that is very rich in chalk and clay. Trade materials are also prominent, such
as brass thumb tacks or tin and iron strips typical for the southeastern area of the
Liberian territory.35
In some cases specific characteristics allows for a distinction between male and
female masks to be made. The male ones can have geometrical traits, almost
bordering complete abstraction, whereas the female ones are more naturalistic and
believed to correspond with Grebo ideals of feminine beauty. This divide may be
assimilated from the stylistic divide noticed in the Dan community, although Grebo
masks can in some cases be told apart by the use of polychromic decorations.36
Such features are not implemented in the mask that this report is investigating,
although we cannot leave out the possibility that the mask in a previous state could
have been more noticeably colored.
IE"M$/$
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[22]
From a gender perspective we have no information about if there is a divide between
men’s and women’s use of Grebo masks as some general literature on West African
masks are suggesting. According to G.W. Harley’s research on masks in Northeast
Liberia, only men are allowed to own masks. They can acquire the mask in two ways:
they might have it made by an artist at the behest of a priest, or inherit it from their
fathers.37 This conclusion may or not be applicable within the Southeastern part of
Liberia.
3.3 Ground for comparison – commonalities to other masks
Although we previously have stressed that stylistic notions in African wood work are
difficult to outline, we have decided to make an attempt at finding a mask to compare
it with since the knowledge around this particular mask is very limited. Even though
similarities might be very risqué to present as any solid proof, a comparing
investigation resulting in suggestions for further research is not harmful to explore,
especially since the other Grebo masks depicted in our literature shared very few
features with ours. After comparing this mask with many others we even considered
that the storage categorization perhaps wasn’t certain. Especially since we were
aware of that influences from the surrounding tribes are reflected in Grebo
sculpturing which in previous occasions have resulted in woodwork being ascribed to
neighboring tribes rather than being recognized as of Grebo origin.38
Since literature and
information online gave little
help, we instead turned
inwards, to the information
surrounding the very
collection this mask was
registered together with.
Within that group of masks
we stumbled upon a mask
IB" _DmD" [9&-$@*" nM9'Y'" 9'" 4
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[23]
very similar to our one and even by comparing the catalogue cards, the features
these masks had in common were clear.
As seen on the picture to the right [Fig. I] this
mask, listed as no. 75.14.2, shares many
attributes with the mask studied. When
examined closer we could conclude that it also
had the same type of drilled holes around the
edges, that it had kauri shells across the
forehead, metal inlays on the eyes, a similar
type of beard as well as the same kind of
elongated, slightly slanted nose with carved
nostrils. The edge of the face is also decorated
in a hair like manner, except for the fact that
whereas our mask has carved braiding, this
mask actually has braids of hair.
Apart from this we did not expect to find a surprise beneath the thick beard. When
lifting it up we found a wood plate tied to the mask with a string, constituting a lower
jaw. As our mask lacked an obvious mouth we assumed it to be a “silent” mask,
lacking mouth for a stated purpose. This hereby can be questioned, since after
comparing the two closely, we realized that our mask very well might have had a
similar under jaw that might be missing today, as it is a loose part, not fastened
permanently to the to the solid wooden structure.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding this form of comparison, the possibility of the
lack of under jaw is interesting since it has a potential effect on how this very mask
may be interpreted. Even though such speculation might be somewhat hazardous, it
still is worth to underline that there clearly is a
semiotic difference between a mask with a mouth
and one without, but what that semiotic divide
might will not be investigated further here.
Another significant difference is that this mask is
classified as belonging to the Kpelle tribe, in the
Northwestern parts of Liberia. To conclude Fig. J
Fig. I
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[24]
something out of this would be foolish, but if it, as we’ve mentioned earlier, has been
common for masks to be wrongly ascribed to other tribes, this might be such an
incident, especially since these masks have so many traits in common and also are
featured within the same collection.
Fig. I, J and K showing the Kpelle mask, [I]
from the front, [J] the side with lifted beard and
[K] from the inside.
Fig. K
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4. The future – on repatriation, ownership and accessibility
When dealing with an object of ritual and belief, it is necessary to take into account
that it may possess qualities and requirements beyond the mere physical, even to the
point of being a subject that needs nutrition, air and proper temperature for a living
thing. For example, normal preservative measures such as freezing before storage
could “kill” the object.39
Lacking detailed information about the background of the mask, it is difficult to
evaluate whether it is, or ever was, to be considered an object of belief. The early
history of its storage and handling is also vague, which means that there is no way of
knowing if the mask has been handled in a taboo manner or not and whether it
retains any of its possible supernatural qualities. If it were to be treated as an object
of belief, it would be hard to determine what constituted respectful, proper handling.
Because of the uncertainty of the sacredness of the mask, it can be argued that there
are also no definite objections to be raised against displaying it. Without knowing who
is to be allowed versus prohibited from seeing the mask, and as stated before, if the
mask is even sacred, it is not possible to properly restrict access. A solution would be
to prevent everyone, under any circumstances, from seeing the mask, but of course
this entirely negates its usefulness as a museum object. Not displaying and
publishing the mask also means that it is more difficult for the ethnic group from
where it originated to gain knowledge about its existence. If so, they are deprived of
whatever educational value the mask may hold about their culture, as well as an
opportunity to decide whether or not they want repatriation.
The current policy on handling is that the mask is an ordinary museum object.
Various ritual treatments of objects are only undertaken if this has been explicitly
wished for by the original owners, and as for repatriation of the mask, the museum
has no current plans on this.40 Should repatriation one day be attempted, there is
again the issue of its vague history. Is a mask devoid of costume and context, stored
away for over thirty years in a foreign country, considered valuable from a Grebo
viewpoint? If the museum would attempt to contact the Grebo group regarding
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repatriation and display issues and is met with conflicting opinions from various
powers within the group, who shall be listened to? And who would then be
considered as the proper owner of the mask?
4.1 Recommendations for future handling, storage and exhibition
Despite having been stored at varying temperature and humidity in the past, the
mask is in good condition. As mentioned earlier, there are no cracks, and no sign of
organic damage such as mildew or insect infestation. The current storage climate,
+18/19 degrees Celsius, with a humidity of 45-48%41, appears to be ideal. For the
immediate future, provided the mask continues to be stored in a controlled
environment and seldom handled, there would be little need for restoration work
beyond that performed by our group.
A possible issue for long-term storage is the thin, rusty nails. Further deterioration of
these could eventually lead to the detachment of additional details such as metal
eyes, cloth and skin. To prevent loss and to keep the mask as immobile as possible,
it should be stored in a separate box or compartment rather than open on a shelf, as
it is currently.42
The mask is vulnerable to being handled. This is almost exclusively due to its tufts of
hair, above all the long moustache whose fibres are subject to breakage even when
handled with extreme care. If the mask is to have a more active future where it is
handled, researched and exhibited rather than just stored, something must be done
to protect this part. A non-invasive solution is to attach the mask by way of the holes
to a light but rigid support large enough to let the moustache hang freely, for example
a thick sheet of acid-free cardboard. This would to a degree prevent the fibres getting
bent and stressed when the mask is handled, and so prolong their lifespan. The
mask should be easily detachable from its support to facilitate access to its reverse
side. An even better method of ensuring minimal contact with the greatest danger to
objects of all, namely human beings43, would be to document the mask extensively
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[27]
by way of detailed images, measurements and descriptive text so that this virtual
copy can be consulted in place of the actual object.
When exhibited, the mask should be kept in a restricted environment i.e. a case, and
away from strong light to protect its organic components. As the specific substance
used to darken the wood is unknown, its vulnerability to light and climate is
impossible to assess. Stable levels of humidity and heat corresponding to those of
the storage facility are recommended for the case or general exhibition area.
The display case itself need also be taken into account. Does it contain materials that
can transfer harmful compounds to the object, either by air or direct contact? For
example, glue, paint, plastic and wood all release potentially harmful chemicals44
whose interaction with the complex composition of the mask over time is unknown.
When exhibited, the mask must be prevented from direct contact with unsafe
materials by way of a barrier. A suggested solution for short-term display is to use
organic cotton cloth or similar material between mask and case where these are in
risk of touching. If there is no way to avoid the presence of high-emission compounds
in the case, ventilation of said case can reduce the presence of chemicals in the air
inside it.45
4.2. Value, meaning and educational potential in the museum
This mask can be read as testimony of different overlapping mutually stories and our
opinion on how it could be used or interpreted by the museum in the future is rooted
in this belief of how it both evokes and represents different aspects of African art.
According to the information we have on this masks at the time it was collected a big
discussion around the western perception on so called ‘primitive art’ was
energetically growing, opposing a perspective which emphasized the understanding
of the original cultural context to one which ignored it to better appreciate it as
sculptures according to western aesthetical canon. Due to the lack of information on
this mask and on the conditions in which it was collected, its value is principally due
to its quality as historical document. As such it witnesses a way to acknowledge,
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[28]
consider, understand and collect African masks. The mask is center and witness of
different stories and regimes of value and meaning. There is the perspective of the
people of the Grebo group on the mask. Each according to individual and common
knowledge may perceive and value the mask differently. These perspectives can be
evoked and presented using the mask. There is the perspective of the scholar and
collector which purchased it in 1974. For his point of view the mask has an affective
and personal meaning, and an objective one. There is our perspective on the mask
as museum curators, reflecting on the net of different regimes of value and
knowledge surrounding and pervading the mask. The value of this mask as museum
object is therefore given by its capacity to evoke, represent and allow reflection on
the different perspectives of the people encountering it. Finally there is also the
instinctive fascination the mask can evoke as object itself. There are aesthetical
qualities according to personal and general taste when encountering this object.
4.3 A tool for future research
This mask has so far been classified in the context of the collection it arrived, no
more, no less. The meaning attributed to it is there for intertwined with the
circumstances it made its entrance at the Museum of Ethnography, circumstances
that we unfortunately know very little of. Russell W. Belk, Professor of Marketing at
the University of Minnesota and leading expert on material culture, highlights this
phenomenon; he underlines that by socializing them as part of a collection, they
become enshrined.46 This enshrinement is what has occurred to this mask, as it, in a
way, has frozen in time since the day it was registered into the museum collection.
While the mask, in its current state, is far from its ritual or social context and is not
seen or considered the way the Grebo tribe considered it; it can serve as a highly
useful tool in future research.
After being exhibited at the Museum of World Culture in late spring 2009 (curated by
the International Museum Studies programme) it may very well serve as an object of
interest to ethnographic researchers or the Grebo themselves , as well as being
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[29]
useful in other comparative studies in similar traditions. Chemical tests is one obvious
way of learning more about this mask, such would, for example, show if it has traces
of sweat to know if it has been used or not. Over the next few years, the objects in
the museum collections will begin to be published in an online database, hopefully
making the mask accessible to a wider audience.47 This could potentially mean that it
might attract greater interest from the outer world, such as researchers or the Grebo
tribe themselves. Another gateway towards a wider research being performed might
even be through art historians or artists, since Pablo Picasso was the owner of a
Grebo mask, inspiring him in his creative work.48
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[30]
5. Summary and conclusion
To come to grasp with this mask with almost no initial information, we started out by
trying to understand the Grebo tribe and culture, and also to attempt to situate the
cultural context of masks in general with that of Grebo society. From this approach
we have tried to look upon this “object” from three different angles:
1. From its original context, which unfortunately is based on loose assumptions
on our part and highly based on neighboring tribes’ use of masks rather than
the Grebo’s own point of view
2. From the collector’s point of view.
3. From our own contemporary, cross-cultural and critical interpretation and
evaluation of the object in its present state.
As there is an acute lack of research or other information about the Grebo tribe, we
have referred to general knowledge on masks in Liberia in order to put the mask in
any probable context. Therefore no adequate or satisfactory investigations could be
made in relation to this specific mask, or to the Grebo community at large. We are
aware of this issue and consider the value and meaning of the mask to be
intrinsically related to what use the Museum of World Culture makes of it. Due to the
lack of information on this mask and of the context in which it was collected, we
believe its value to principally lie in its role as historical document, as a silent witness
of ethnographic collecting of African masks. As mentioned earlier the object we have
examined is only part of a larger outfit, generally consisting of costume, mask and
other accessories; parts which could have been even more significant than this face
covering mask.
In many ways, the investigation of this mask has only led to more questions. Initially
about the Grebo tribe, about the meaning of the mask and its primary use, but when
concluding this report we see that the questions are many more, reaching far deeper.
We are aware of that it was collected in a manner in which it probably wouldn’t be
collected today, and that it was brought to the museum in an epoch within the
museums during which the museum object was considered in another light.
Furthermore, at the time when it was collected and recorded, it was done so with a
different understanding of how layered with meanings an object such as this can be.
In the process of working with this mask we came to realize that it in many ways is
functioning as a slate on which subjective assumptions and suppositions are
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projected. We realize that it is an unfortunate but not at all unusual status of an object
in ethnographic museum collections. When considering the fact that there is no
deeper research performed in relation to the specific tribe, that there is a clear lack of
information on how it was collected, a gap in the documentation of the mask between
the year it made its entrance into the collection and the year the Ethnographic
museum introduced their recording policies, and no information of how the
complementary costume might have looked, we ask ourselves; can this mask even
be considered to be a historical document at all? To what extent is it an “African
mask” when it has been taken out of context to be frozen in time? And is there truly
such a thing as a Grebo ethnic group?
Considering the fact that ritual masks, in many African tribes, are considered to
embody a god, spirit or act as mediator between the spirits and the living, we also
face the question of whether the Grebo mask really is just an object or perhaps
should be considered “alive” or “dead” in its present status at the storages. In this
way it is an interesting representation of the duality of when an artifact is functioning
both as object and subject. Since the mask has been taken away from original
context, we see the future and most useful role for this mask as a tool for the
museum to reflect on collecting policies and their surrounding stories.
The object in its present state can be looked upon as a museum object with a fuzzy
historical value. As such it can serve a function in many ways. It can for example be
used as a research tool to further understand the culture and customs of the so-
called Grebo tribe or be used to educate the public, preferably through exhibitions, of
the role that masks can have in African society. To deal with the Euro-American
perspectives rooted in colonial tendencies which we in 2009 still struggle to deal with.
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[32]
6. References
Main sources
Caple, C., Conservation Skills - Judgement, Method and Decision Making, London,
New York: Routledge, 2000.
Corfield, M.(1988) “Towards a conservation of profession”, in the Preprints for the
UKIC 30th Anniversary Conference, London, pp. 4-7.
Kecskési, Maria Vajda László, “Je ne suis pas moi-même” in Masques et
mascarades en Afrique, [eds.] Hahner-Herzo, Iris, Kecskési, Maria and Vajda,
László. Masques e la collection Barrbier-Mueller, Prestel-Verlag: Munich, New York,
pp.11-37, 1997.
Meneghini, Mario, “The Grebo Mask” in African Arts, No. 8 (1), autumn 1974, pp. 36-
39, 87, Los Angeles, 1974.
Morgan, Mary H., “Civilized Servants: Child Fosterage and Training for Status Among
the Globo of Liberia” in African Encounters with Domesticity, [ed.] Hansen, Karen T.,
New Brunswick, Rutgers University press: New Brunswick, 1992.
Nelson, Harold D., Liberia – A Country Study, Foreign Area Studies, Washington,
1984.
Oddy, Andrew, [ed.], “Restoration: is it acceptable?”, British Museum Press, London,
1994.
Pernet, Henry, Ritual Masks: Deceptions and Revelations, University of South
Carolina Press, 1992.
Roy, Christopher, [ed.] ”West Africa” in Africa Art and Culture, Prestel: Munich, Berlin,
New York, 2000.
Harley, G.W. , "Masks as Agents of Social Control in Northeast Liberia, 1950”, in
Siegmann, W.C. and Schmidt, C.E., [ed.], Rock of the Ancestors, 1977.
Belk , Russell, “Collectors and Collecting” in Handbook of material culture, [ed.]
Christopher Tilley, SAGE, London, 2006.
Siegmann, William C. and Schmidt, Cynthia E., Rock of the Ancestors: Namoa Kôni -
Liberian Art and Material Culture from the Collections of the Africana Museum,
Suakoko Liberia, Cuttington University College, 1977, pp. 16-17.
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[33]
Tétreault, Jean, “Display Materials: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, from Exhibitions
and Conservation, pre-prints of the conference held at The Royal College of Physics
in Edinborough, [ed.] Sage, J. 1994, pp. 79-87.
Visona, Monica, [ed.], History of Art in Africa, Prentice Hall Abrams, New York, 2000.
Zetterström, Kjell, The Yamein Mano of Northern Liberia, Institutionen för Allmän och
Jämförande Etnografi, Uppsala University, 1976.
Online sources
KMT Art Space, The Silent Dialogue Between the Cubists and their Aftrican
Intercessors: http://www.kmtspace.com/picasso-Two.htm
The Picasso Grebo Mask of 1912 and the sculpture "Guitar", created in the same
year: http://www.jaenicke-njoya.com/s568/pages/P1015865.htm
Further reading
Bureau of Folkways in Liberia, Traditional History and Folklore of the Glebo Tribe,
published by the department of interior Monrovia, under the bureaus earlier name:
Bureau of Folklore, April 20th 1957.
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[34]
7. List of illustrations:
Page Description Source
3 Fig A: Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.1 ©Linda Dobke, 2009
4 Fig. B: Detail of right eye, showing residue and tissue. ©Linda Dobke, 2009
5 Fig. C: The front of the Grebo mask Storage documentation
photography
5 Fig. D: The inside of the Grebo mask Storage documentation
photography
12 Fig. E: Map of West Africa, highlighting Liberia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:LocationLiberia.svg
13 Fig. F: Map of Liberia highlighting the Grebo region Provided by Jan
Amnehäll
13 Fig. G: Masks from the Loma, Mano and Kran tribes © Siegmann/Schmidt
(see ref. list)
15 Fig. H: Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.2 ©Linda Dobke, 2009
16 Fig. I: the Kpelle mask, from the front ©Linda Dobke, 2009
16 Fig. J: the Kpelle mask, from the side with lifted beard ©Linda Dobke, 2009
16 Fig. K: the Kpelle mask, from the inside. ©Linda Dobke, 2009