Guro tribe and Guro traditional masks

The Guro tribe has an estimated population of 200 000. They live in the west of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). They are surrounded by the Baoule ( on the east), the Bete (on the west) and the Malinke (on the north). They are part of the Mande group.They live near on the shores of the Banama ( one of the rive of Cote d’Ivoire). Their territory is made of savannas and dense forest. It helped them a lot to resist the horsemen conqueror from the north and also it protected them from military and political conflict until 1906. Between 1906 and 1912, the Guro tribe was forced to fled into the bush and abandoned their traditional villages to resist the French colonization.
It is said that the Guro people contrary to other tribes do not have a chief. They are governed and regulated by a concil of elders and each main family of the village has a representation on the council.
The daily life of the Guro is dominated by secret societies and by a belief in protective spirits called “Zuzu”.
The Guru are well known for their artistic sense. While carving their masks, the Guru often combine the human and animal forms. In addition, the masks are normally almond shaped eyes rounded forehead,
You can see below a picture of a Guro mask:

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