Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 2364

African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask

KAMBA TRIBE, MID-LATE 20TH CENTURY A.D.

17 3/4 in. (802 grams, 45 cm).

Carved wooden mask, leaf-shaped in plan with reserved nose and mouth, angled elliptical slots to the eyes, remains of pigment. [No Reserve]

Provenance

From Kenya, East Africa.
From the private collection of Mr N.J., Leicester, UK; acquired circa 2010.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine 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.

LOT 2364

African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask

Sold for (Inc. bp): £98

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Ashanti Bronze Gold Figural Weight Collection
    Ashanti Bronze Gold Figural Weight Collection
    Akan Tribe, 19th-20th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £20

    Including a figure using a hoe, another carrying a basket on her head and other types. 150 grams total, 49-64 mm



    From an old Oxford, UK, collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

    Lot Details

  • African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
    African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
    Pende Tribe, early-mid 20th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £13

    Carved with scarification panels to the cheeks and forehead, protruding mouth with teeth, flat nose and a neck panel below the chin. 560 grams, 37.5 cm



    From Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa. From the collection of the late Professor R M Hicks, OBE. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

    Pende masks are among the most dramatic works of all African art. There are two styles: the western one of the Kwilu with its mbuya mask characterized by a somber, gloomy expression, and the Kasai style that is more geometric and colorful. The Kwilu Pende are especially well known for their masks that were originally used for circumcision ceremonies but later became accessories for a type of popular theater. The minganji, or masks of power, represent the ancestors; the mbuya, or village masks, represent human types, such as the chief, the diviner, the epileptic with a twisted mouth, the madman or man in a trance, the widow, the lover, or the executioner.

    Lot Details

  • African Wooden Comb Fertility Figure
    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.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list