Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2333
African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Mask
PUNU TRIBE, EARLY-MID 20TH CENTURY A.D.
14 3/8 in. (851 grams, 36.5 cm).
A wooden mask with traces of white facial pigment and a raffia collar. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From Gabon, West Africa.
From an old Norwich, UK, collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Footnotes
Punu masks represent idealised female ancestors' faces. The white colour of the mask is genderless and a symbol for peace, deities, spirits of the dead, and the afterlife. It is the predominating colour in funeral celebrations and memorials. The masks were worn during funerals. They appeared also in the magical rites whose function was to unmask sorcerers. The masks have realistic, mostly white but sometimes black faces with protruding pursed lips, globular protruding eyes incised with a curve, high-domed foreheads, and characteristic rigid high coiffures reflecting the Punu women's hair styles. The masks often have an oriental expression, but no such influence has been established. Many Punu masks can be recognized by raised diamond-shape scarification marks on the foreheads and temples.
CONDITIONVETTING:
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.
RELATED LOTS
-
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 Decorated Clay Spindle Whorl Collection
Mali, circa 10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £27
Each discoid in plan and lentoid in section with central perforation and incised geometric ornament. 320 grams total, 50-54 mm
Ex private Oxford ethnographical collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Dan Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A carved face mask, decorated with cowrie shells, fabric and bells. 547 grams, 29 cm
From 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.