Vintage Hand Carved African Mask Guro Tribe? IVORY COAST 20" Tall TRIBAL ART

Description

Based on the little bit of research i have done this looks like a beautiful handcrafted African Guro masks that originates from the west coast of Africa and more specifically from Ivory Coast. The Guro tribe or Gouro tribe as they are sometimes pronounced are Guro Mask very spiritual people and their masks are all representations of their way of live and spiritual way of life. I want to be very clear, this one have some conditioning issues. Seems it had some insect plague in the past and some of the edges are coming apart as dust. I hope I show this well in the pictures. Even with that the body seems solid. This is a stunning mask, is heavy and is 20" Tall, 8" Wide and 6" Deep. I think this should be in the hands of a collector or someone that is going to appreciate the artistic merit of this item. As i said I am no expert and the item is sold as is but looks vintage and aligns with the research I have done.
This Guro mask and many of the other masks are representations of the spirit of Gu, the wife of Zamble, a supernatural being. Each mask is similar but not identical with horns that represent the spiritual power and is believed by the tribe to have magic powers to protect the human way of life of the owner and the tribe. The Guro mask is very unique and has a combination of human and animal traits and imaginary beasts. Birds of different kinds can often be seen carved into the mask such as the horn bill or other large billed birds. These masks were commonly used during the traditional ceremonies such as funerals, animal sacrifices and weddings, today the people of Ivory Coast honor their ancestors with traditional dance and the mask represents their loyalty to the past.
A Guro mask is usually embedded with hidden messages of spiritual importance. The Guro people are known for their rich masking traditions.
Please bear with me since this is a heave and large mask I will have to have find a special box and possibly have it packed for shipping. Ask any question you like and hope you find this items a lovely as i do.