Gela or glaè (mask)

With projecting horns and menacing jaws, this intimidating form likely served as a téhé or tu vohn (warrior) mask. Such creations are performed as forces of public order and justice in Wè communities. Worn only by the most courageous young men, téhé glaè preside over mask festivals to ensure their efficacy in bringing wealth and prosperity to the community. Their choreography requires constant vigilance and stamina, involving full days of running across the village, as well as throwing stones at and striking with a broom or whip those who interfere with the masquerade activities.

Their fearsome forms are essential to the function of téhé glaè. When writing about Wè masking traditions in 2007, anthropologist and politician Angèle Gnonsoa argued that the combination of disparate elements provoked alarm and caution among spectators, a necessary reaction to their performance. As a result, a warrior mask typically depicts a ferocious, composite being featuring “an arrangement of animal horns... a gaping maw covering half of the face... and strips of wild animal hides and human hair” (Gnonsoa 2007, 67, translated from French). The performer’s head would be covered with a headdress made from wild bird feathers, and his body obscured by shirts and capes made of cloth and a raffia skirt extending to his ankles.

Masquerades fulfill essential roles in Wè communities. Undertaken annually following the rice harvest between November and February, they promote prosperity and agricultural fertility for the coming year. They might also take place to mark the passing of a prominent male or female member of the community, facilitating a connection between the human and ancestral realms. Village and clan relationships are reinforced through the preparation for a masquerade. Anthropologist Monni Adams has underscored that the arrangement of a masked funeral in the region of Canton Boo requires “the head of the family of the deceased... [to] consult with relatives far and wide and with other male heads of households in the village about their willingness to help finance the event and to house and feed the masqueraders, their supporting parties, and other guests. The men in turn must consult their wives as to whether there is sufficient food for all of the meals to be provided” (Adams 1986, 47). The accompanying feasts also afford an opportunity to bring the community together and affirm social hierarchies and shared values. Among the array of activities preceding the various feasts are a series of women’s performances brandishing poloh (ornately carved ceremonial spoons similar to a Dan wakemia or wunkirmian), highlighting the central role of women as nourishers of the community.

Jenny Peruski, 2025
Assistant Curator for the Arts of Africa