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LOT 2386
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
SENUFO TRIBE, 20TH CENTURY A.D.
14 1/8 in. (715 grams, 36 cm).
Carved with an oval face, pointed chin, a flat nose, slit eyes, an open mouth; animal figure presented on top and some scarification. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Burkina Faso, West Africa.
From the estate of a West Sussex, UK, collector.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Several types of masks are used depending upon the occasion. The Kpelie, a human face with projections all around, is said to remind initiates of human imperfection.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Tuareg Manilla Bronze Slave Bracelet Group
Okombo Tribe, late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £8
Each penannular in form with opposed conical finials, one with radial twist to the shank. 53 grams total, 47-55 mm
From Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Derby, UK, specialist collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Decorated Clay Spindle Whorl Collection
Mali, circa 10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £27
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Ex private Oxford ethnographical collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Lega Warega Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Hollow to the rear with protruding bosses for the eyes, applied fabric to lower edge. 181 grams, 22.1 cm
From Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa. From the Estate of Dr J Bynon; acquired 30 July 1911. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Most Lega masks are sculptures of a human face that are rarely worn over the face and never for purposes of true transformation. The Lega masks can be assigned different uses and meanings depending on the context of the performance. In Bwami ceremonies, masks are attached to different parts of the body, fixed to hat, piled in stacks, hung on fences, held in the hand, dragged on the ground, and occasionally worn on the forehead with the beard draping over the face of the wearer or arranged on a miniature palisade. Participants in most rites display their masks as a group in conjunction with particular dance movements and aphorisms, which vary depending on the context in which they are used. Lega masks differ from those used in many other African masquerades in that while women do not own them, both men and women handle and present them in very similar performances. Masks are among the initiation objects displayed on the grave before being passed to new owners. They are usually passed from an uncle to a nephew.
