Female Face Mask (Gu)

Description

The hairstyle and the scarifications on this female mask, named Gu after the spirit it embodied, reflect the beauty standards favored by the Guro. Elaborate hair arrangements express both social status and wealth, since a woman sporting one must rely on the help of fellow women for its creation. Though the mask is no longer performed, Gu once formed a trio with two male characters. The refinement of Gu’s facial features stood in stark contrast with her chaotic and turbulent performance.

Provenance

Walter S. (died 1954) and Kate L. Brewster (died 1947), Chicago, Ill., by 1947; bequeathed to the Art Institute, 1950.

Female Face Mask (Gu)

Guro

Early 20th century

Accession Number

68498

Medium

Wood and pigment

Dimensions

31.8 × 13 × 9.8 cm (12 1/2 × 5 1/8 × 3 7/8 in.)

Classification

masks

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Bequest of Kate L. Brewster