Kpeli Mask, Senufo People, Ivory Coast. An ancestral mask used during intitiation and funeral ceremonies of the Poro society. Although the occasions on which it is used may differ, it always represents an ancestor closely connected with the society's origin. The funerals both commemorate the deceased and reintegrate the mourning relatives into the community, with the intention of creating the appropriate atmosphere for the deceased to leave the world of the living and enter the ancestral realm. Most important, however, are the figures on the head, which depend on the group to which they belong, in the manner of coat of arms, 24" x 11" x 9", on loose black metal museum stand. Provenance: From the Estate of Joyce Colby.