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LOT 2373
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
DAN TRIBE, 20TH CENTURY A.D.
11 3/8 in. (547 grams, 29 cm).
A carved face mask, decorated with cowrie shells, fabric and bells. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa.
From an old Hampshire ethnographic collection; acquired prior to 1960.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Baule Tribe, early-mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A carved mask with crested horns and decorated in tones of white, red and blue. 620 grams, 39.4 cm
From Ivory Coast, West Africa. From an old Derby, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
The Baule people is one of the largest ethnic groups in the Côte d'Ivoire. Wooden masks allow a closer contact with the supernatural world and correspond to several types of dances: the gba gba, the bonu amuen, the mblo and the goli. They never represent the ancestors and are always worn by men. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Crocodile Face Mask
Bobo Tribe, mid-late 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
A simplified crocodile head, painted red and black, rough shaped eyes and pegged teeth. 870 grams, face long: 33 cm
From Mali, West Africa. From the estate of a West Sussex, UK, collector. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
The masks symbolize animals or spirits and are worn during ceremonies associated with new crops, initiations and funerals. Ones with an interior cavity too small for a human head are carried on the top corner of a rectangular, tent like costume. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Salampasu Tribe, early to mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Piriform and hollow to the reverse, with white-painted lower face, long nose, a square red-painted mouth with carved teeth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 855 grams total, 39 cm including stand
From the frontier between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola, Central Africa. From a private London, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Salampasu masks were integral part of the warriors’ society whose primary task was to protect this small enclave against invasions by outside kingdoms.
