This beautiful mask is called a Moghondzi and used mostly at funeral ceremonies. It appears to be authentic and has developed a nice patina over the years. Don’t expect to find something like this in a thrift shop. Interesting fact:  the Bwiti people, who live across the border in southern Cameroon, use masks that closely resemble the photo you see. It’s an example of how design ideas are sometimes influenced by nearby cultures. There are so many different tribes in Africa that we see a lot of similarities between them.

Q:  Purchased at a garage sale with a mask from the Congo. Is it made with horsehair and wood? Help!  Melissa,1401 A:  This quickly-made mask of carved wood and horsehair makes me think of the Grebo, Guere and We people living around that area of West Africa. It was made to sell to tourists or an exporter. It would be appropriate for a beginner’s collection of African traditional art.  Call it a repro of a Liberian mask.  C

  Q:  Because of a heavy depression I started to make masks on a very basic level. The mask in attachment really interests me but I have no clue on where to position it. I was thinking Ogoni but I can’t retrace it there.  Bart, 1398 A:  Unfortunately your photo is low resolution, so I picked a sharper example. This beautiful black & white Ogoni has the separated-to-move lower jaw, the snub nose, diamond-shaped lips, coiffure with side parting and piercing around the rim that we’ve come to expect from the Ogoni culture. Your yellow mask is also pictured. Do you actually carve and paint tribal masks? Could you send…

Here is a wonderful Fang Ngil mask from North Gabon that is just like the one Picasso collected in the late 19th century. The scan is high-res, so make it as big as you want. This is the piece of African sculpture that began the great change in Western modern art. I couldn’t find a side view which would show the long, concave curve of the nose. What a shock this piece of abstract sculpture was to European painters! People who are attracted to mask collecting usually have a strong interest in either art or anthropology. Of course, I fall into the former category. Which way are you?  The Mask…

This is called an Angbai mask by the Toma people of Guinea/Liberia. The mask is of classical form with four small horns slanting from the top, the brow heavy and with large nose and tiny eyes to either side, the brow ridge with linear patterns. The Angbai is a common style that is often on the market. They are never painted and always look old and used. My advice to collectors who can’t afford masks with documented provenance, is look for good design and craftsmanship… and pay for it as if it was a reproduction. This one certainly looks like an A. 1386

The famous white masks of the Punu people were worn during the okuyi performance, one of the rites of mwiri, an important male initiation society spread throughout southern and central Gabon. They are characterized by a face with youthful features, half-closed eyelids under slightly raised arching eyebrows, a fine realistically-rendered nose, a mouth pursed forward with full red-painted lips, painted red, and an elaborate crested coiffure. The hairstyles of these masks can vary. I think all three of the masks shown here may be authentic, but there are many reproductions that look just as good. These repros can be found today for as little as 100 dollars. An authentic Punu maiden…

Every second year, there is a gathering of villagers each having their own tradition and sets of masks. Dedougou, a small city located in the west of Burkina Faso, hosts the largest international art and mask festival. In 2016, its 20th anniversary, you could see masks from around 50 different villages all over Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin. For thousand of years there have been animist belief around in West Africa, in which masks play a central role, especially for remembrance rituals symbolizing the rhythm of life. They are made from textile, straw, wood and leaves for the worship of spirits and ancestors. According to traditional…

This is what the Metropolitan has to say about a similar mask… “One of the most popular types of masks in the Sanga region is the type known as kanaga. Like other Dogon masks, kanaga masks are worn at rituals called dama, whose goal is to transport the souls of deceased family members away from the village and to enhance the prestige of the deceased and his descendants by magnificent masked performances and generous displays of hospitality.” “In 1935, French anthropologist Marcel Griaule witnessed a dama ritual in which twenty-nine out of a total of seventy-four masks were of the kanaga type. These masks are characterized by a wooden superstructure…

Q:  I recently became interested in collecting African masks and have brought few books on the subject. Unfortunately, I’m still pretty lost on dating and evaluating them. I saw a few masks at an estate sale and am wondering if you can give me some guidance. Thanks!  David, 1367 A:  This is a Bwoom mask from the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The Kuba are a large group of different tribes and their masks come in many different styles. The Bwoom is usually a helmet masks with much bead work. This one is low in beads and color, but is well designed and crafted.  B-

  Q:  Re-arranging my masks around on the walls, I realized I had no information on this mask. It was given to me by my husband as a gift many, many moons ago. He bought it from a dealer in Essex, Ct who sold masks. Only thing I can say…it’s light weight wood and appears to be in good condition. Would appreciate information.  Mickey, 1366 A:  Masks styled after the famous Pwo mask of the Chokwe tribe in Angola, West Africa, are very popular with collectors. Many are available on the internet for an affordable price. I would give yours a value of B-. The second photo is of a…