The Kpelie masks of the Senufo of northern Ivory Coast are worn by members of Poro society, which initiates young males while imparting knowledge of tribal customs and beliefs. Worn during funerary rites that accompany the body of an initiated male to the burial ground, the Kpelie masks are believed to lead the spirit of the deceased to a peaceful and a respectable hereafter. Carved delicately from wood, these masks combine human and animal features with leg - like formations below and protrusions jutting out on both sides. Worn on top of the head, the masks are decorated with images of hornbills, horns of rams, chameleon, or different geometric motifs. They are symbolic of concepts and qualities needed for attaining true knowledge and harmony in social life and pay homege to the guardians of the village and of the sacred woods.