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LOT 2376
African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Face Mask
IGBO TRIBE, EARLY 20TH CENTURY A.D.
22 in. (1.4 kg, 56 cm).
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. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom 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.
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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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. -
African Bronze Figure on Horseback
Edo Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Substantial bronze horse model with harness, bridle and saddle, a rider figure and four biconvex wheels. 2.33 kg, 18.4 cm high
From Benin. Ex Surrey, UK, ethnographical collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
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.
