Vintage Hand Carved African Mask Guro Tribe? Red IVORY COAST 31" 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. The mask is stunning and is big. It is 31" Tall, 10" Wide at the widest and 6" deep. I think this is one of the most beautiful mask I have seen. It has a bird on the top and horns like items on top. I must say this is an amazing collectors item. Some information below. I have no background just that it comes from a state sale in Va that had multiple world wide items.
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.
This a big item so please bear with me on the shipping. I will have to get it packed or find a special box for it. Make this amazing collectors item yours today. Please ask any questions you like. See pictures for condition.