Beautiful Kwele antelope mask

Q: I recently purchased this donkey mask on eBay. It weights 3 pounds and is 17 inches long. The seller and I knew it was far under-priced for such a gorgeous mask. I looked it up and from what I gather it’s either from Portugal or Spain, but I’m not entirely sure because similar masks don’t have leather straps and metal inlay detail. Forest, 1129 (He collects animal masks of all kinds and is especially fond of Kwele antelopes.)

A: I wrote back that he was correct on location, but that it was decorative wall art, not a real mask. Instead of just writing back to him I decided to also show you a Kwele antelope mask. The above photo clearly demonstrates how African traditional sculpture was to have a huge impact on the European artists of the late 19th century. Be sure to enlarge the pic on your device. It is a masterpiece! A+