Documentation Report: Grebo Mask

(Object Number: 75.14.1)

Denis Cormano

Linda Dobke

Azalé Ehn

Constantine Mbungong

[2]

[3]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ...................................................................................................4

1.Introduction..........................................................................................5

2. The Grebo mask – a description .......................................................6

2.1 The physical dimensions of the Grebo mask ............................8

2.2 The Biography of the object ....................................................10

2.3 General condition ....................................................................11

2.4 Earlier treatments and exhibition history .................................12

2.5 Our treatments and alterations ................................................12

3. African masks – a cultural context .................................................15

3.1 Woodwork – African carving technique ...................................17

3.2.1 Cultural context – the Grebo tribe ........................................18

3.2.2 Cultural context – in relation to this Grebo mask..................20

3.3 Ground for comparison – commonalities to other masks ........22

4. The future – on repatriation, ownership and accessibility ...........25

4.1 Recommendations for future handling, storage and exhibition26

4.2. Value, meaning and educational potential in the museum.....27

4.3 A tool for future research .........................................................28

5. Summary and conclusion ................................................................30

6. References .......................................................................................32

7. List of illustrations: ..........................................................................34

[4]

Abstract

This museum storage documentation report is dealing with a wooden mask from the

Grebo tribe of southeastern Liberia, catalogue number 75.14.01 in the collections of

the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. The work that we outline in here has

been divided into a practical part; in which we document the objects current state and

apply preventive conservation methods and one socio-cultural part; in which we

investigate the Grebo, mask making and the traditional setting surrounding the mask.

Finally, we discuss the future of the object and its possible use for the museum

today. Thereby we invite the reader to partake in the entire working process; from the

initial documentation process up until the finishing line where the very nature of the

mask as a museum object is questioned and where we pose suggestions for further

research. Such research would be helpful not only in order to widen the

understanding of Grebo culture at large, but also to answer the museological

questions we have posed about this mask.

[5]

1.Introduction

This documentation report focuses on an African mask stored at the Museum of

World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden. The information about this mask is very

sparse and the knowledge we begin our investigation with is very limited. The little we

do know, from the storage documentation card [see. Fig. A] is that it was brought to

the museum in 1975 by Kjell Zetterström, the previous director of the museum, and

that it is supposed to come from an ethnic group called the Grebo. This means that

we don’t know anything about how and why the mask was collected, what its cultural

context was and that it in a way is reduced to a testimony of a the more classical

notions of how to register and handle objects in ethnographic museum collections.

The in-depth information about the object has been lost with the person who

collected it and took it out of its original context. With this documentation report we

will try to fill this gap and bring together the necessary information accessible, to

correctly understand, handle and work with the object both the museum and storage

setting.

This report will be divided into the three parts which we have chosen to focus our

work around. Firstly, we will look at the mask objectively and record its current status.

Secondly, we will research the Grebo and other African wood work of interest for this

report, to outline what cultural context it stems from. With this in mind we will thirdly

produce some practical suggestions on how to handle the mask in the future, both

from a physical and a semiotic perspective.

Please note that our use of the word mask is corresponding to definition of a face

covering part of, what in some cases happen to be an overall costume.

[6]

Fig. B. Detail of right eye, showing visible residue and tissue

2. The Grebo mask – a description

The mask at hand is an object kept at the storages of the Museum of World Culture

in Gothenburg. It is object no. 94824, listed under catalogue no. 75.14.01. It was

brought to the museum by Kjell Zetterström, the director of the Ethnographical

museum at the time. The object is a hand carved wooden mask from Liberia, made

out of one piece of wood, and comes,

according to the catalogue card, from

the Grebo tribe in Southeast Liberia.

The mask is dark brown, with its main

features being a bulging forehead, a

long and straight nose with marked

nasal wings, a slit-shaped pair of eyes,

a long beard and a lack of mouth. Also,

there are carved ridges extending from

a knob on the top of the head,

Fig. A. Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.1

[7]

stretching all the way down to the jaw; a decoration possibly suggesting some kind of

braids. On a more detailed level, the eyebrow ridge is accentuated with a band of

cloth, to which kauri shells have been stitched. Some of the shells appear to be

missing and there are now a total of seven shells still attached to the ribbon. In the

centre of the forehead we find a small tuft of black hair/fur, still attached to its original

skin/leather. This hairpiece has been nailed to the mask through the band with the

kauri shells. The slitted eyes are overlaid with cut-out ovals of dark-stained, silver

coloured metal which we believe to be aluminium. These are also slitted; these holes

are a bit smaller than the underlying eyeholes carved in the wood. Just below the

nose, a folded band of white and blue striped cloth, nailed to the mask, covers a

lower part of the face horizontally. To this piece of cloth a row of long freefalling hair

has been attached through a sewn braiding technique, covering the entire chin. This

beard or long moustache is in a somewhat tangled and matted condition. Below this

hairpiece, on the lowest end of the mask, an uneven patch of pale but thick skin,

covered with thin and coarse hairs, is attached to the mask. These details are the

general features of the face of the mask. The edge of the mask has been perforated

with unevenly spaced, drilled holes, and the reverse side of the mask is hollowed out.

The overall method used to attach cloth, skin, metal and shell ornaments to the

wooden frame is small nails, which are now in a rusty condition.

On the very surface of the mask there are traces of an unknown, dried substance.

This is specifically noticeable on the cheek areas and around the eyebrow line. In

these areas there are subtle but apparent traces of fibres of bright red cloth. Such

traces are also found, more noticeably, around the metal eye plates, sticking out

between the metal and the wood underneath. The nose, the chin, the forehead and

the “braids” exhibit no traces of either this dried substance or red cloth.

[8]

2.1 The physical dimensions of the Grebo mask

Attribute Measure

Mask height

Mask width

Mask weight

Length of each eye

Height of each eye

Length of metal

plates

Height of metal

plates

350 mm

200 mm

1068 g

approx. 71 mm

approx. 30 mm

approx. 45 mm

approx. 21 mm

Length of nose

Width of nose

Moustache length

104 mm

42 mm

350 mm

(stretched)

Moustache ribbon

length

310 mm

Length of forehead

hair

80 mm

Chin patch width

Chin patch height

140 mm

47 mm

Fig. C. The front of the Grebo

mask

Fig. D. The inside of the Grebo mask

[9]

Carvings length, left 270 mm

Carvings length,

right

Drilled holes,

diameter

290 mm

5 mm

Number of holes,

total

Kauri shells, right

side

Kauri shells, left side

Kauri shells, middle

12

2

4

1

[10]

2.2 The Biography of the object

The director of the Gothenburg Museum of Ethnography at the time, Kjell

Zetterström, was in 1966 asked to become the new director of the Tubman Center of

African Culture in Robertsport, Grand Gape Mount Country, Liberia. He accepted this

offer and came to work there from November 1966 until October 1970. During this

period he also performed field work in Liberia, employed by the Liberian American

Swedish Minerals Company, and focused his research on the region in which he and

his wife lived - the Yamein Mano area.1 It is during this period that the Grebo mask

was collected2, and as unsatisfying as it is, this is all we know about the acquisition of

this mask.

As mentioned earlier, the information gathered from the catalogue card [see fig. A]

and the description of the entire collection shows no information about its history prior

to arriving at the Museum of Ethnography in 1975. The collection is consisting of

twenty-three objects, of which this mask is registered as the first one, catalogued

under the number 75.14.1. It arrived at the Gothenburg Museum of Ethnography on

the 6th of November that very year and was indexed by Zetterström himself, on the

20th two weeks later. From the register book we know that the collection is consisting

of other masks from the different parts of Liberia and was bought for a total of 3.500

Swedish Krona. The specific details of the price of this mask are unknown. The

object biography therefore is somewhat of a mystery. There is no information of at

what date it was collected, on what location the acquisition took place, by whom this

mask was constructed or at what time. It could have been carved for usage in

religious practices or with the purpose to be sold to a collector. It might be a copy of

another mask or a unique piece of craft. Speaking of some kind of “original” context

in this case is therefore slightly misleading since the mask could have been carved

specifically to be a part of a museum collection.

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[11]

2.3 General condition

At the starting point of our examination and research of this Grebo mask, we estimate

it to be in a fair to good condition. There are no cracks in the wood which is solid

throughout and not brittle at all. The wood has not been attacked by any worms or

other vermin, that otherwise might have damaged the main structure of the piece.

The more sensitive parts of the mask are the add-ons; such as the ribbons, shells

and hairpieces.

The ribbons are frilled and appear to be in a quite fragile state, at present there is a

lack of probably two kauri shells on the right side of the eyebrow area, as well as

where the shells are missing, and one can still see traces of the original stitching. The

large tests of hair covering the lower part of the mask are also in a more fragile state

since they are tangled and millimetre-sized parts of them fall off when the mask is

handled. This beard on the right side of the mask has gotten detached from what

could be estimated to be its original setting, along the white and blue ribbon. When

working with the mask the braiding on that specific side of the hairpiece is sliding

down slowly, but can easily be put back to its original position.

The thicker skin patch on the chin is nearly bald on the right side; however this may

be its original appearance. The presence of the red cloth fibres across the cheek and

eyebrow have been an object prone to many discussions within our team. The area

may indicate that these parts once were cloth-covered; another possibility is that it

was once wiped or cleaned with this fabric and some fibres were transferred, it might

also have been stored wrapped in this red cloth. Unfortunately these are just

speculations on our part. The dried, dark substance covering that very area might

simply be dirt, but it may also be remnants of the original design such as clay

covering. The dark stains on the metal eyes plates might also be traces of this

substance as part of the original design, although this is uncertain. Signs of wear

such as body oils from sweat are not evident inside the mask and around the holes

on the edges of the mask there is no apparent sign of usage. From this we imagine

that it was only worn a few times if at all, but we do not know this for sure.

The only unambiguous damage/dirt is the absence of three kauri shells on the left

side, the rusted condition of the nails and traces of sand and dust in the crevices

surrounding the eyes. There are neither apparent repairs, nor evidence of biological

damage. The inside of the mask is in good condition, its absence of stains and wear

[12]

suggesting the mask suffered little wear. Likewise, it is uncertain if the numerous

chips and scratches on both inside and outside surfaces of the mask are all due to

the roughness of the carving or later damage occurring during transportation or other

handling.

2.4 Earlier treatments and exhibition history

The previous treatments made on this mask are unknown, as it was acquired four

years before the in depth system used to document conservation history or other

alterations made to objects in storage at the Ethnographical museum of Gothenburg,

was introduced in 1978.3 According to Jan Amnehäll; conservator and head of

collections and conservation at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, the

object has not been exhibited or researched further since its arrival at the museum

and most probably hasn’t been altered in any way.4 Any larger alterations made after

1978 would have been noted on the catalogue card and the brief description made

on the 20th of November in 1975, two weeks after its initial arrival, is still applicable.

Before moving to the current storage facilities, in 2000, the mask was kept in a non-

climate controlled environment in which the space was in a constant state of flux.

During both winter and summer the humidity was at a higher level than the rest of the

year. The temperatures were shifting as well, with a high temperature during the

summer season and substantially colder at wintertime.5 A storage that shifts both

temperature and humidity is especially hazardous for wood materials6, although this

Grebo mask has seemed to have been enduring such circumstances well and no

cracks can be found.

2.5 Our treatments and alterations

The Grebo mask is made out of wood and other materials that are susceptible to

fungi or insect attack. To preserve its natural state in the future it should be stored in

an environment with temperatures under which insects prone to wood cannot

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[13]

survive. Humidity levels are also critical because air too moist might soften the wood,

weaken it or cause fungi, while air too dry may cause it to crack over time. These

criteria are met in today’s storage facilities at the Museum of World Culture.

As the knowledge about this specific mask is very limited, we believe it to be

preferable to keep it as close to its current state as possible. Any larger restoration or

cleaning project may distort the appearance and a deep cleaning may remove

material that might be of importance in future research. Also, the lack of data on this

mask, or others like it, makes it difficult to estimate how far from its initial look the

mask is today, i.e. the metal eye plates being polished. Therefore we are trying to

maintain the integrity, physical and visual appearance of the mask in line with

conservator Andrew Oddy, who writes that “cleaning, stabilization and restoration

should be done while adding and removing minimum material”.7 This is why we place

the larger importance on the pure conservation of this object, the term conservation

meaning “the means by which the true nature of an object is preserved”.8 We are

aiming for retaining the integrity of the mask as far as possible with the minimal

removal of materials and minimal additions. We also strive towards keeping the

different materials in this mask in a stabilized state as possible.

At the 23rd of February 2009 we began the cleaning of this mask under consultation

of conservator Anna Javér. The process began by cleaning it very lightly with the tip

of a soft brush, while vacuuming the particles removed. We kept the front of the face

un-brushed as the sand, dust and other particles might be parts of the mask in some

way or hold information that might be of usage in the future. We then untangled the

beard slightly so when exhibited in an upward position the beard would fall a bit

straighter. We used fine tweezers to remove what appeared to be old cocoon parts,

remnants of spider web and dust from the dreaded locks. Also, a dead spider was

removed from inside the right eye.

A topic for discussion and further investigation has been the long beard of the mask.

Judging by its appearance we initially thought it to be goat or gorilla hair, perhaps

even human. But after guidance from Anna Javér we made the decision to burn

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[14]

some samples of the beard.9 For this experiment we clearly wanted to avoid taking a

sample from the mask, instead we used frail parts of the beard that already had fallen

off during handling. By classifying the smell of the burnt material one could approach

an answer to this question. The joint perception was that the smell was distinctively

cellulose-like, which may point to the suggestion that the beard isn’t made out of

animal fur at all, but of plant fibers of some sort.10

A problem with the beard was also that some of the braiding on the right side of the

mask had started to slide down further and further, which in the future might lead to

that large wisps of hair would fall off permanently. As a precautionary action we

decided to re-attach the right side of the beard to one of the nails by simply tying

them together lightly, in a way that isn’t a permanent change or a larger wear and

tear to the mask. We used a brown sewing thread, type: 775/26NM.

But let’s move beyond the condition and detailing of the mask towards implementing

a holistic approach, including researching the Grebo tribe, the potential symbolical

meaning of the mask and its biography so far. It is through such investigations that

one might comprehend its place in history and its future place in the storages of the

Museum of World Culture.

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[15]

3. African masks – a cultural context

The African masks we are used to seeing in museums and galleries are usually only

a small part of an outfit that in its entirety comprehends mask, costume and

sometimes accessories. Due to lack of interest or understanding on the part of

collectors, only the mask, without associated costume, is collected. The implications

of this ignorance of the original context of the mask becomes clear if we consider that

it is often the costume, not the mask, which provides most information to the

audience regarding which entity or concept it is meant to portray. Costume and other

accessories are therefore very important, sometimes even more important than the

mask itself.

Different masks have different roles and functions. Although this is not a general rule,

they often tent to express a cosmos or a world system. Also, they can be used to

recall or dramatize important events, like founding episodes of the world and the

humanity, of the clan, or of a particular institution.11 The ritual masks are the best

known, as scholars tend to consider them the original and most interesting type of

mask. Nevertheless, if looking at numbers ritual masks are probably not in majority.

In many cases, the mask is functioning rather as some sort of practical device in

ceremonies. This is particularly evident when considering their role in funerary rituals

or in ceremonies marking the end of the period of mourning. There are also many

other purposes which they can serve such as judging disputes between individuals,

collecting of debts or delivering messages. Other masks serve to disguise the wearer

when hunting, so that he can get closer to the prey. In such cases, the hunter tries to

look as similar as possible to an animal.12

Overall, it is difficult to trace the relation between the form and the meaning of a

mask, and generally “the morphology does not, in any way, betray the proper

function of a particular mask”.13 Some characteristics of particular spirits are

grounded in mythical and artistic traditions, which help to recognize them when

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[16]

portrayed. The relation between mask and meaning is often symbolical, allowing

people to associate an image with the notion of a certain spirit.14 Therefore, its

appearance can be related to dreams or visions rather than artistic canon.

Nonetheless, the community must recognize and accept the result as a

representation of the intended spirit in order for the mask to be successfully

incorporated into society.

Many masks are used during ritual dancing events, which serve, both directly and

indirectly, to facilitate the change of an individual or a group.15 Mask essentially

accompany the middle phase of rituals, that of change. It is necessary to underline

that rituals can involve symbolic handling which can go on for several months and

are often characterized by adoption or revelation of knowledge. In such occasions

the ‘teacher’ can be a mask, as strong emotional shocks are a common and integral

part of rituals.16

During rituals, the masks aren’t seen as representing actors, but as present spirits. It

is, however, incorrect to generalize and say that the wearer becomes what he is

representing. The relation between dancer, mask, event and spirit seems to range

from simple dramatization to an ‘actual transformation’, including a number of cases

where the ‘supernatural’ power or element is present, completely or in part, in the

mask, its accessories or the costume.17 If we try to understand the meaning of

masks, we must not limit its communicative aspects to the dance. The aesthetical

dimensions of a mask are also very important. A dance is always a performance, and

as Pernet reminds us, not everything must culminate in a meaning.18

To conclude, we have to keep in mind that not every member of an audience

experiences the mask with equal intensity. The presence and dance of a mask does

not mean the same for the people even if they are part of the same community. Each

spectator participates in the performance according to his or her level of knowledge.

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[17]

The presence of figures and presence of spirits are received in an individual way, as

in Europe, where the presence of i.e. the Catholic pope does not mean the same, or

indeed as much, for everybody. Differences of attitudes and sensibility are inevitable.

A mask which for religious reasons inspires authority to someone, can be seen by

others as simply the marking of an association, as a status symbol, or as pure

entertainment.19

3.1 Woodwork – African carving technique

Wood is the most common material used for African Masks. Masks made out of other

materials such as metal, fibers, tissues and other, are common only in certain areas

of the continent. It is rather the decoration of the masks that is most varied, additional

components might consist of aluminum, leather, animal or human teeth and hair, fur,

horns, feathers, glass pearls and other glass fragments, seeds, fruit stones, cloth,

buttons and kauri shells, to mention a few. Masks are usually carved out of one

single piece of wood and the artists usually have the final shape of the mask in mind

before starting to carve it.20

Generally the wood type used comes from the local area in which it is made. Some

trees are chosen due to their symbolical meaning, but generally the determining

factor is the characteristics of the wood. The tools of a carver are traditional, using a

relatively long hand adze, a combined knife and gouge, which need a lot of practice

and skill to use.21

Usually the wood is left to dry before it is cut into pieces of necessary size. The

carver then uses the adze to give the wood a general shape. Once this is done, its

surface is worked out more accurately with the knife. Finally, the surface of the mask

is polished with wrinkled leaves used as emery paper. To finish off the work, it is

smeared with a coating composed of harsh or oils which tend to darken the surface

of the wood. Nowadays, using mordent is also common. They may also expose the

mask to smoke in attempting to obtain darker shades of brown. Masks can also be

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[18]

painted and for that purpose only organic materials were used in the past, but since

several decades, these pigments have been substituted by imported oil colors.22

3.2.1 Cultural context – the Grebo tribe

The term Grebo is used to refer to an ethnic group or a subgroup within the larger

Kru group inhibiting the southeastern part of Liberia in West Africa.23 The Grebo live

on the eastern seaboard and have a unique history due to the fact that the region

was isolated from its surroundings up until the 60’s, this because of the geographical

circumstances of rivers, swamps and impassable deltas.24 Still there are many cross-

tribe references and influences across the region25, especially with their closest

neighbors to the north, the Kru and the Dan, since it is through their regions that one

for a long time had to pass to communicate with the Grebo.26 When looking at

sculptures and carved wood work from across this region, these mixed influences are

highly visible and it can be challenging to tell them apart.

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[19]

The very term “Grebo” is, in a way,

artificial, originating in censuses made

in 1962 and 1974 by the Liberian

government. During these periods, the

indigenous population of the country

was divided into 16 ethnic groups or

tribes, but with little concern for cultural

and linguistic differences or already

existing loyalties. The categorization of

the tribes have over time become actual

ones as they, especially in rural areas

and abroad, are used by individuals to

define themselves in relation to

outsiders. Still, the original loyalties and sense of identity for a large number of

Liberians lie not in government-imposed tribes but in small groups such as

chiefdoms.27 Thus, Grebo is a recent, imposed label on a number of diverse smaller

groups. The name Grebo is not used by the people concerned, although it does

contain a faction that call themselves Glebo.28

The Grebo are well-known for their carved wooden masks which were worn in

ceremonies and masquerades, often mediating or propitiating the presence of

spirits.29 These can serve different purposes such as judging disputes between

individuals, the collecting of debts, funerals and/or other feasts.30 In the Liberian

hinterland wood carving in general is of particular importance, and its ritual and

ceremonial significance is accompanied by taboos. Artists and craftsmen specialized

in wood has therefore a high status in Grebo society.31

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[20]

3.2.2 Cultural context – in relation to this Grebo mask

On a general level, this specific mask has some common features with other masks

of surrounding regions. [See p. 13, fig. G] Researching the mask in detail might tell

us the precise origin of it, or its appurtenance to a specific style. Such details could

be: contour of the mask, the relation of sizes of the face parts, concave and granted

surfaces, the shape of eyes and eye-brows, of the nose, of mouth and lips, ears,

teeth, hairstyle, paintings and scarification scheme. Here, it has to be remembered

that the “African” notion of style is not easily compared to the “European” one. Styles

do not have such chronological pertinence and therefore the time of provenance or

traces of aesthetic influences are intricate and very difficult to track.

The similitude ‘one tribe, one

style’ is misleading,

especially when the

contemporary appearance of

many styles can exist within

the same tribe, for example

the Dan. The stylistic

diffusion that does exist is not

shaped by geographical

position of the ethnic groups,

but rather a result of

economical and political relations, collective institutions, religious currents and

everything else which is of importance in cultural exchanges.

Therefore stylistic similarities are results of relatively subjective observations and are

not particularly scientific, if not accompanied by solid reasons. Still some conclusions

might be drawn from the sources at hand. Meneghini for example, states that the

Grebo, because of their isolation, have been regarded as barren of expressive art

forms, and that the knowledge of this tribe and their art is inadequate and highly in

need of further research. He mentions that Kurt Krieger’s catalogue, for example,

consists of Grebo wood work that isn’t correctly attributed to the tribe. Meneghini’s

survey of the bibliography around the Grebo is only identifying one kind of mask as

definitely Grebo, namely the abstract type with a platform base serving as the facial

Fig. G. Liberian Masks from the Loma, the Mano and the Kran tribes

[21]

structure with sets of circular eyes, sometimes several pairs.32 This type of mask is

according to Visona’s very similar description, the ones functioning as military masks

within the Grebo and other Kru-speaking areas, usually brightly painted and with the

same facial features, attached to, rather than carved into, the elongated wooden

plane.33 From this information we might suppose that our mask isn’t a military mask,

since it has a totally different structure and is constructed according to other

principles.

We also conclude that this anthropomorphic mask is male, since it clearly can be

distinguished from what Meneghini calls “the gentle face of the female ideal”.34 Other

information of value in relation to this mask is confirming the use of materials.

Meneghini mentions that the Grebo uses a wide variety of materials to decorate their

masks: beadings, kauri shells, metal and nails, to name a few; all to be found in our

mask. Different sorts of hair, which we also have included in the construction of the

mask is perhaps more used by the Grebo than by any other tribe of the hinterland.

The extensive use of a variation of dyes is also a reminder that the Grebo region is

an area that is very rich in chalk and clay. Trade materials are also prominent, such

as brass thumb tacks or tin and iron strips typical for the southeastern area of the

Liberian territory.35

In some cases specific characteristics allows for a distinction between male and

female masks to be made. The male ones can have geometrical traits, almost

bordering complete abstraction, whereas the female ones are more naturalistic and

believed to correspond with Grebo ideals of feminine beauty. This divide may be

assimilated from the stylistic divide noticed in the Dan community, although Grebo

masks can in some cases be told apart by the use of polychromic decorations.36

Such features are not implemented in the mask that this report is investigating,

although we cannot leave out the possibility that the mask in a previous state could

have been more noticeably colored.

IE"M$/$

[22]

From a gender perspective we have no information about if there is a divide between

men’s and women’s use of Grebo masks as some general literature on West African

masks are suggesting. According to G.W. Harley’s research on masks in Northeast

Liberia, only men are allowed to own masks. They can acquire the mask in two ways:

they might have it made by an artist at the behest of a priest, or inherit it from their

fathers.37 This conclusion may or not be applicable within the Southeastern part of

Liberia.

3.3 Ground for comparison – commonalities to other masks

Although we previously have stressed that stylistic notions in African wood work are

difficult to outline, we have decided to make an attempt at finding a mask to compare

it with since the knowledge around this particular mask is very limited. Even though

similarities might be very risqué to present as any solid proof, a comparing

investigation resulting in suggestions for further research is not harmful to explore,

especially since the other Grebo masks depicted in our literature shared very few

features with ours. After comparing this mask with many others we even considered

that the storage categorization perhaps wasn’t certain. Especially since we were

aware of that influences from the surrounding tribes are reflected in Grebo

sculpturing which in previous occasions have resulted in woodwork being ascribed to

neighboring tribes rather than being recognized as of Grebo origin.38

Since literature and

information online gave little

help, we instead turned

inwards, to the information

surrounding the very

collection this mask was

registered together with.

Within that group of masks

we stumbled upon a mask

IB" _DmD" [9&-$@*" nM9'Y'" 9'" 4

[23]

very similar to our one and even by comparing the catalogue cards, the features

these masks had in common were clear.

As seen on the picture to the right [Fig. I] this

mask, listed as no. 75.14.2, shares many

attributes with the mask studied. When

examined closer we could conclude that it also

had the same type of drilled holes around the

edges, that it had kauri shells across the

forehead, metal inlays on the eyes, a similar

type of beard as well as the same kind of

elongated, slightly slanted nose with carved

nostrils. The edge of the face is also decorated

in a hair like manner, except for the fact that

whereas our mask has carved braiding, this

mask actually has braids of hair.

Apart from this we did not expect to find a surprise beneath the thick beard. When

lifting it up we found a wood plate tied to the mask with a string, constituting a lower

jaw. As our mask lacked an obvious mouth we assumed it to be a “silent” mask,

lacking mouth for a stated purpose. This hereby can be questioned, since after

comparing the two closely, we realized that our mask very well might have had a

similar under jaw that might be missing today, as it is a loose part, not fastened

permanently to the to the solid wooden structure.

Despite the uncertainties surrounding this form of comparison, the possibility of the

lack of under jaw is interesting since it has a potential effect on how this very mask

may be interpreted. Even though such speculation might be somewhat hazardous, it

still is worth to underline that there clearly is a

semiotic difference between a mask with a mouth

and one without, but what that semiotic divide

might will not be investigated further here.

Another significant difference is that this mask is

classified as belonging to the Kpelle tribe, in the

Northwestern parts of Liberia. To conclude Fig. J

Fig. I

[24]

something out of this would be foolish, but if it, as we’ve mentioned earlier, has been

common for masks to be wrongly ascribed to other tribes, this might be such an

incident, especially since these masks have so many traits in common and also are

featured within the same collection.

Fig. I, J and K showing the Kpelle mask, [I]

from the front, [J] the side with lifted beard and

[K] from the inside.

Fig. K

[25]

4. The future – on repatriation, ownership and accessibility

When dealing with an object of ritual and belief, it is necessary to take into account

that it may possess qualities and requirements beyond the mere physical, even to the

point of being a subject that needs nutrition, air and proper temperature for a living

thing. For example, normal preservative measures such as freezing before storage

could “kill” the object.39

Lacking detailed information about the background of the mask, it is difficult to

evaluate whether it is, or ever was, to be considered an object of belief. The early

history of its storage and handling is also vague, which means that there is no way of

knowing if the mask has been handled in a taboo manner or not and whether it

retains any of its possible supernatural qualities. If it were to be treated as an object

of belief, it would be hard to determine what constituted respectful, proper handling.

Because of the uncertainty of the sacredness of the mask, it can be argued that there

are also no definite objections to be raised against displaying it. Without knowing who

is to be allowed versus prohibited from seeing the mask, and as stated before, if the

mask is even sacred, it is not possible to properly restrict access. A solution would be

to prevent everyone, under any circumstances, from seeing the mask, but of course

this entirely negates its usefulness as a museum object. Not displaying and

publishing the mask also means that it is more difficult for the ethnic group from

where it originated to gain knowledge about its existence. If so, they are deprived of

whatever educational value the mask may hold about their culture, as well as an

opportunity to decide whether or not they want repatriation.

The current policy on handling is that the mask is an ordinary museum object.

Various ritual treatments of objects are only undertaken if this has been explicitly

wished for by the original owners, and as for repatriation of the mask, the museum

has no current plans on this.40 Should repatriation one day be attempted, there is

again the issue of its vague history. Is a mask devoid of costume and context, stored

away for over thirty years in a foreign country, considered valuable from a Grebo

viewpoint? If the museum would attempt to contact the Grebo group regarding

IA"W9>-$*"WD*"2+)3#.4&/(+)$FC(::3$I$J?

[26]

repatriation and display issues and is met with conflicting opinions from various

powers within the group, who shall be listened to? And who would then be

considered as the proper owner of the mask?

4.1 Recommendations for future handling, storage and exhibition

Despite having been stored at varying temperature and humidity in the past, the

mask is in good condition. As mentioned earlier, there are no cracks, and no sign of

organic damage such as mildew or insect infestation. The current storage climate,

+18/19 degrees Celsius, with a humidity of 45-48%41, appears to be ideal. For the

immediate future, provided the mask continues to be stored in a controlled

environment and seldom handled, there would be little need for restoration work

beyond that performed by our group.

A possible issue for long-term storage is the thin, rusty nails. Further deterioration of

these could eventually lead to the detachment of additional details such as metal

eyes, cloth and skin. To prevent loss and to keep the mask as immobile as possible,

it should be stored in a separate box or compartment rather than open on a shelf, as

it is currently.42

The mask is vulnerable to being handled. This is almost exclusively due to its tufts of

hair, above all the long moustache whose fibres are subject to breakage even when

handled with extreme care. If the mask is to have a more active future where it is

handled, researched and exhibited rather than just stored, something must be done

to protect this part. A non-invasive solution is to attach the mask by way of the holes

to a light but rigid support large enough to let the moustache hang freely, for example

a thick sheet of acid-free cardboard. This would to a degree prevent the fibres getting

bent and stressed when the mask is handled, and so prolong their lifespan. The

mask should be easily detachable from its support to facilitate access to its reverse

side. An even better method of ensuring minimal contact with the greatest danger to

objects of all, namely human beings43, would be to document the mask extensively

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[27]

by way of detailed images, measurements and descriptive text so that this virtual

copy can be consulted in place of the actual object.

When exhibited, the mask should be kept in a restricted environment i.e. a case, and

away from strong light to protect its organic components. As the specific substance

used to darken the wood is unknown, its vulnerability to light and climate is

impossible to assess. Stable levels of humidity and heat corresponding to those of

the storage facility are recommended for the case or general exhibition area.

The display case itself need also be taken into account. Does it contain materials that

can transfer harmful compounds to the object, either by air or direct contact? For

example, glue, paint, plastic and wood all release potentially harmful chemicals44

whose interaction with the complex composition of the mask over time is unknown.

When exhibited, the mask must be prevented from direct contact with unsafe

materials by way of a barrier. A suggested solution for short-term display is to use

organic cotton cloth or similar material between mask and case where these are in

risk of touching. If there is no way to avoid the presence of high-emission compounds

in the case, ventilation of said case can reduce the presence of chemicals in the air

inside it.45

4.2. Value, meaning and educational potential in the museum

This mask can be read as testimony of different overlapping mutually stories and our

opinion on how it could be used or interpreted by the museum in the future is rooted

in this belief of how it both evokes and represents different aspects of African art.

According to the information we have on this masks at the time it was collected a big

discussion around the western perception on so called ‘primitive art’ was

energetically growing, opposing a perspective which emphasized the understanding

of the original cultural context to one which ignored it to better appreciate it as

sculptures according to western aesthetical canon. Due to the lack of information on

this mask and on the conditions in which it was collected, its value is principally due

to its quality as historical document. As such it witnesses a way to acknowledge,

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[28]

consider, understand and collect African masks. The mask is center and witness of

different stories and regimes of value and meaning. There is the perspective of the

people of the Grebo group on the mask. Each according to individual and common

knowledge may perceive and value the mask differently. These perspectives can be

evoked and presented using the mask. There is the perspective of the scholar and

collector which purchased it in 1974. For his point of view the mask has an affective

and personal meaning, and an objective one. There is our perspective on the mask

as museum curators, reflecting on the net of different regimes of value and

knowledge surrounding and pervading the mask. The value of this mask as museum

object is therefore given by its capacity to evoke, represent and allow reflection on

the different perspectives of the people encountering it. Finally there is also the

instinctive fascination the mask can evoke as object itself. There are aesthetical

qualities according to personal and general taste when encountering this object.

4.3 A tool for future research

This mask has so far been classified in the context of the collection it arrived, no

more, no less. The meaning attributed to it is there for intertwined with the

circumstances it made its entrance at the Museum of Ethnography, circumstances

that we unfortunately know very little of. Russell W. Belk, Professor of Marketing at

the University of Minnesota and leading expert on material culture, highlights this

phenomenon; he underlines that by socializing them as part of a collection, they

become enshrined.46 This enshrinement is what has occurred to this mask, as it, in a

way, has frozen in time since the day it was registered into the museum collection.

While the mask, in its current state, is far from its ritual or social context and is not

seen or considered the way the Grebo tribe considered it; it can serve as a highly

useful tool in future research.

After being exhibited at the Museum of World Culture in late spring 2009 (curated by

the International Museum Studies programme) it may very well serve as an object of

interest to ethnographic researchers or the Grebo themselves , as well as being

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[29]

useful in other comparative studies in similar traditions. Chemical tests is one obvious

way of learning more about this mask, such would, for example, show if it has traces

of sweat to know if it has been used or not. Over the next few years, the objects in

the museum collections will begin to be published in an online database, hopefully

making the mask accessible to a wider audience.47 This could potentially mean that it

might attract greater interest from the outer world, such as researchers or the Grebo

tribe themselves. Another gateway towards a wider research being performed might

even be through art historians or artists, since Pablo Picasso was the owner of a

Grebo mask, inspiring him in his creative work.48

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[30]

5. Summary and conclusion

To come to grasp with this mask with almost no initial information, we started out by

trying to understand the Grebo tribe and culture, and also to attempt to situate the

cultural context of masks in general with that of Grebo society. From this approach

we have tried to look upon this “object” from three different angles:

1. From its original context, which unfortunately is based on loose assumptions

on our part and highly based on neighboring tribes’ use of masks rather than

the Grebo’s own point of view

2. From the collector’s point of view.

3. From our own contemporary, cross-cultural and critical interpretation and

evaluation of the object in its present state.

As there is an acute lack of research or other information about the Grebo tribe, we

have referred to general knowledge on masks in Liberia in order to put the mask in

any probable context. Therefore no adequate or satisfactory investigations could be

made in relation to this specific mask, or to the Grebo community at large. We are

aware of this issue and consider the value and meaning of the mask to be

intrinsically related to what use the Museum of World Culture makes of it. Due to the

lack of information on this mask and of the context in which it was collected, we

believe its value to principally lie in its role as historical document, as a silent witness

of ethnographic collecting of African masks. As mentioned earlier the object we have

examined is only part of a larger outfit, generally consisting of costume, mask and

other accessories; parts which could have been even more significant than this face

covering mask.

In many ways, the investigation of this mask has only led to more questions. Initially

about the Grebo tribe, about the meaning of the mask and its primary use, but when

concluding this report we see that the questions are many more, reaching far deeper.

We are aware of that it was collected in a manner in which it probably wouldn’t be

collected today, and that it was brought to the museum in an epoch within the

museums during which the museum object was considered in another light.

Furthermore, at the time when it was collected and recorded, it was done so with a

different understanding of how layered with meanings an object such as this can be.

In the process of working with this mask we came to realize that it in many ways is

functioning as a slate on which subjective assumptions and suppositions are

[31]

projected. We realize that it is an unfortunate but not at all unusual status of an object

in ethnographic museum collections. When considering the fact that there is no

deeper research performed in relation to the specific tribe, that there is a clear lack of

information on how it was collected, a gap in the documentation of the mask between

the year it made its entrance into the collection and the year the Ethnographic

museum introduced their recording policies, and no information of how the

complementary costume might have looked, we ask ourselves; can this mask even

be considered to be a historical document at all? To what extent is it an “African

mask” when it has been taken out of context to be frozen in time? And is there truly

such a thing as a Grebo ethnic group?

Considering the fact that ritual masks, in many African tribes, are considered to

embody a god, spirit or act as mediator between the spirits and the living, we also

face the question of whether the Grebo mask really is just an object or perhaps

should be considered “alive” or “dead” in its present status at the storages. In this

way it is an interesting representation of the duality of when an artifact is functioning

both as object and subject. Since the mask has been taken away from original

context, we see the future and most useful role for this mask as a tool for the

museum to reflect on collecting policies and their surrounding stories.

The object in its present state can be looked upon as a museum object with a fuzzy

historical value. As such it can serve a function in many ways. It can for example be

used as a research tool to further understand the culture and customs of the so-

called Grebo tribe or be used to educate the public, preferably through exhibitions, of

the role that masks can have in African society. To deal with the Euro-American

perspectives rooted in colonial tendencies which we in 2009 still struggle to deal with.

[32]

6. References

Main sources

Caple, C., Conservation Skills - Judgement, Method and Decision Making, London,

New York: Routledge, 2000.

Corfield, M.(1988) “Towards a conservation of profession”, in the Preprints for the

UKIC 30th Anniversary Conference, London, pp. 4-7.

Kecskési, Maria Vajda László, “Je ne suis pas moi-même” in Masques et

mascarades en Afrique, [eds.] Hahner-Herzo, Iris, Kecskési, Maria and Vajda,

László. Masques e la collection Barrbier-Mueller, Prestel-Verlag: Munich, New York,

pp.11-37, 1997.

Meneghini, Mario, “The Grebo Mask” in African Arts, No. 8 (1), autumn 1974, pp. 36-

39, 87, Los Angeles, 1974.

Morgan, Mary H., “Civilized Servants: Child Fosterage and Training for Status Among

the Globo of Liberia” in African Encounters with Domesticity, [ed.] Hansen, Karen T.,

New Brunswick, Rutgers University press: New Brunswick, 1992.

Nelson, Harold D., Liberia – A Country Study, Foreign Area Studies, Washington,

1984.

Oddy, Andrew, [ed.], “Restoration: is it acceptable?”, British Museum Press, London,

1994.

Pernet, Henry, Ritual Masks: Deceptions and Revelations, University of South

Carolina Press, 1992.

Roy, Christopher, [ed.] ”West Africa” in Africa Art and Culture, Prestel: Munich, Berlin,

New York, 2000.

Harley, G.W. , "Masks as Agents of Social Control in Northeast Liberia, 1950”, in

Siegmann, W.C. and Schmidt, C.E., [ed.], Rock of the Ancestors, 1977.

Belk , Russell, “Collectors and Collecting” in Handbook of material culture, [ed.]

Christopher Tilley, SAGE, London, 2006.

Siegmann, William C. and Schmidt, Cynthia E., Rock of the Ancestors: Namoa Kôni -

Liberian Art and Material Culture from the Collections of the Africana Museum,

Suakoko Liberia, Cuttington University College, 1977, pp. 16-17.

[33]

Tétreault, Jean, “Display Materials: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, from Exhibitions

and Conservation, pre-prints of the conference held at The Royal College of Physics

in Edinborough, [ed.] Sage, J. 1994, pp. 79-87.

Visona, Monica, [ed.], History of Art in Africa, Prentice Hall Abrams, New York, 2000.

Zetterström, Kjell, The Yamein Mano of Northern Liberia, Institutionen för Allmän och

Jämförande Etnografi, Uppsala University, 1976.

Online sources

KMT Art Space, The Silent Dialogue Between the Cubists and their Aftrican

Intercessors: http://www.kmtspace.com/picasso-Two.htm

The Picasso Grebo Mask of 1912 and the sculpture "Guitar", created in the same

year: http://www.jaenicke-njoya.com/s568/pages/P1015865.htm

Further reading

Bureau of Folkways in Liberia, Traditional History and Folklore of the Glebo Tribe,

published by the department of interior Monrovia, under the bureaus earlier name:

Bureau of Folklore, April 20th 1957.

[34]

7. List of illustrations:

Page Description Source

3 Fig A: Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.1 ©Linda Dobke, 2009

4 Fig. B: Detail of right eye, showing residue and tissue. ©Linda Dobke, 2009

5 Fig. C: The front of the Grebo mask Storage documentation

photography

5 Fig. D: The inside of the Grebo mask Storage documentation

photography

12 Fig. E: Map of West Africa, highlighting Liberia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

File:LocationLiberia.svg

13 Fig. F: Map of Liberia highlighting the Grebo region Provided by Jan

Amnehäll

13 Fig. G: Masks from the Loma, Mano and Kran tribes © Siegmann/Schmidt

(see ref. list)

15 Fig. H: Collection catalogue card for item nr: 75.14.2 ©Linda Dobke, 2009

16 Fig. I: the Kpelle mask, from the front ©Linda Dobke, 2009

16 Fig. J: the Kpelle mask, from the side with lifted beard ©Linda Dobke, 2009

16 Fig. K: the Kpelle mask, from the inside. ©Linda Dobke, 2009