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Gong Mallet (laoure)
Wood, cloth, fiber

Baule, Cote d'Ivoire

Fred and Rita Richman Collection, 1984.307

Made from a single piece of wood, this gong
mallet is an exquisite example of Baule carving.
The serene facial expressions and the elaborate
coiffure of the central figure are characteristic
of Baule style.