Loading, please wait...
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
African Wooden Comb Fertility Figure
Asante Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Carved in the round with large discoid panel for the head with high-relief facial features; small body with arms spread, resting on a rectangular comb with six tines. 483 grams, 41.7 cm
From Southern Ghana, West Africa. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Fertility and children are the most frequent themes in the wooden sculptures of the Asante. The most numerous works are akua’ba fertility figures. The are dolls with disk-shaped heads embodying their concept of beauty and carried by women who want to become pregnant and to deliver a beautiful child. -
Ashanti Bronze Gold Weight Collection
Akan, 19th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Including a hexagonal-section block with stamped motif, rectangular bars and other types. 211 grams total, 19-68 mm
From an old Oxford, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Face Mask
Igbo Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A mask with long narrow face, painted white; narrow protruding sharp nose; slit eyes; closed mouth; small ears, arching eyebrows, incised hair design and above this is an elaborate openwork construction in brown, yellow and white. 1.4 kg, 56 cm
From South-West Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Newbury, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honour important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance in agbogho mmwo masks wear colourful, tight-fitting fibre costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances.
