Africa

Baule mask, authentic or repro

Q: I bought several from an owner of a resale shop. They aren’t dealers and know very little about antiques. They came across a established photographer and painter and they ended up buying all he had. A storage unit I think. He worked in Chicago. They told me he said they were from Columbia. One says Ivory Coast on a piece of paper on the back. I paid 15.00 each and I would like to present them for sale. Janet, 1620

A: This looks to me like a Baule mask from Ivory Coast, West Africa. The problem is that you want to sell all of them and need to know their true value. My guess is that they are well-antiqued repros, but I can’t be sure. Maybe someone will comment. Or you can try to get an opinion from a tribal arts dealer or museum curator who specializes in African artifacts. A or B

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