Sikire KAMBIRE Gaoua (1896 - 5 October 1963, Gaoua, Burkina Faso). Wooden mask carved in high relief with a human face crowned with two horns. The face is characterised by its domed shape, semi-circular eyes with pierced pupils and a well-defined mouth. Height: 19 cm. Width: 10 cm. Cracks. Note: The appearance of this type of mask dates back to Henri Labouret, who was French colonial administrator of the Gaoua region from 1914 to 1924, and who commissioned Sikire Kambire to copy a Baule mask. Kambire was considered the most talented Lobi sculptor. He was trained by the great master Okuena of the "Gbokho" school of sculptors. Literature: For more details on Sikire Kambire and an overview of his work, see P. Meyer Kunst und religion des Lobi Rietberg Museum Zurich 1981.