Q: This was my brother’s, who was a catholic priest and served at least two seasons at a mission school in Kenya around 1970. Kikuyu. He may have been given this mask, along with some other things, when he left there, or he may have bought it. He also traveled around I’m sure. Mask is 13.5 in tall, wood is lightweight and looks to be blackened, maybe with a stain. John, 851
A: Neither the Kikuyu people or other groups in Kenya use masks. However, you can buy masks there. This mask seems to come from somewhere to the southwest, where the DRC, Angola and Zambia come together. You could search on Google Images for masks from the many tribes that occupy this large area. I don’t think it is old or used.
