Q: I was hoping you could tell me anything about the style or origin of this simple wooden tribal mask. I bought it 50 years ago from an antique shop and that’s all I know. Dimensions are 23cm Long, 17.5 Wide and 10cm Deep. The white stuff is only a water based wash I painted on to make it more in keeping with our decor. As to the wood, all I can say is that it is really hard. I appreciate any help you could give me. Many thanks. Patrick, 1641
A: I can’t tell you much about this piece. It is primitive looking, but there are no holes for seeing or strapping to the face. Like so many masks on the collectors market, it was probably made for the tourist trade. What’s left of your white wash looks okay to me, but you could try to clean it all off. Let’s hope one of our viewers has seen something like this before.
