Q:    I got strongly interested in African tribal art two years ago when I came to Brussels. Recently I bought a Fang mask. The shape is not the common shape of Fang Ngil masks. This one in the photo is 56cmX24cm and weighs 2,4kg. Is it a true Fang mask? What kind of variety? On your value code where would it stand?  Ricardo, 907 A:  Though not common, I believe it is a true Fang mask. ln the side view you can see clearly the elegant way the concave facial area has been sculpted out of the face. The Fang do this so well. I should also point out…

Q:  Hey, I bought this mask off of EBay. The seller took over her sister’s estate. Apparently the sister had majored in anthropology and was a collector of African and Pacific Northwest Indian fetishes. The lady selling the mask did not know anything about it. I’ve looked for similar masks, but haven’t come across any. I was curious if you could shed some light on the origin of this mask.  Austin, 906 A:  You’d have a hard time finding another one of these. At first glance it is a Kple Kple mask from the Baule people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. It’s even antiqued to make it look old and…

Q:  I inherited this mask. I would like to know its origin and the period.  The material is wood, which has been polished, and the dimensions are height 24cm, width 15,5cm and depth 5,5cm. It is relatively flat.  Erik, 901 A:  Flat masks without eye holes are usually made for tourists… but not always. I have seen things like this from both Africa and the South Pacific that were used in culture. It has the feel of authenticity– as if it has been handled for many years in some tribe. I hope that Erik will double check to see if it is made of bone rather than wood. It looks…

Q:  Here is an African Lega with beard. The mask is 5″ x 7.5″; and the beard extends 7″ below bottom of mask at shortest point.  Sue, 900 A:  The first photo was sent with several others. I thought I should share it with you because it is very popular with collectors. The Lega are a large ethnic group in the one of the largest countries of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Lega masks are used as initiation objects in the Bwami society. Unlike many masks in other African cultures, the masks of the Lega are not usually worn over the face, they are attached to the body, held…