Q:  This piece was acquired in Spain sometime ago. 9 inches tall by 5 inches wide. The wood  and the paint seems in good shape. I’d appreciate any information on this mask. I bought with 2 more masks (smallers) with similar colors and designs.  Pedro, 1330 A:  I’m not sure exactly what tribe this antelope mask comes from. The Bwa, Nuna, Gusrunsiand and Bobo all live in the dry savannah land of central Burkina Faso. All of them seek the help of powerful spirits who live in the wild forests, bush country and rivers surrounding their villages. Their masks represent the spirits that have some influence on the human being.…

This beautiful reproduction of a Bamana mask, the kind that might be used by the Ndomo Society for circumcision ceremonies, is being offered on the internet for only $75. You can check it out here. I don’t usually do this, but I want young collectors to realize that a very nice collection can be put together for a modest amount of money. Spend as much time as you can going to museums and reading books so you know a good deal when you see it. And remember that truly collectible masks are rarely found in thrift shops or street stands.  

Bamana carved wooden Chi Wara headdress features an abstract motif of a male antelope. There is also a female version that looks much different. The first photo shows an expensive version of the male from Sotheby’s with very fine carving. The second Chi Wara is much more quickly made and for some reason doesn’t have a penis. Both come from Mali and are handsome in design. You can get the cheaper one for less than $300 on eBay. Please enlarge the two photos and you can easily see why the first Chi Wara would get an A, and the other one a B on our value code.

Q:  This African mask measures a total of 14 inches tall by 8 inches wide. I bought it last year at an online auction for about $26.00. I liked its whimsical expression and signs of vintage usage. Do you have any opinions? Thanks again, Diane, 1309 A:  You may have scored a real winner. This is a very nice Aduma mask from Gabon. Yes, the blue diamond shape and the single horn are things I’ve never seen before. (Maybe that’s why some other collectors past it over.) It is a classic design that looks like it’s been used a lot. I would suggest that you get it appraised by someone…

Q:  Please share these images with Bob of African masks that we saw at an art opening in Cincinnati on Friday evening. (This one was priced at $1000, according to the label.)  John, 1301 A:  Here’s a nice find–  a Nganga Diphomba that comes from the Southwest part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a female version, but of course, it would be worn by a man. The character’s purpose is to reveal the reason for an accident, illness or death. I think it is well designed, colored and accessorized. For a mask like this you must determine whether it is an excellent reproduction or an authentic artifact.…

I love these big helmet masks. It’s a 10-inch-high Lipiko of the Makonde people from Tanzania or Mozambique. It would be kept  in a small hut behind the village elder’s home and shown at feasts or during initiation ceremonies. Represents a person of importance to the village for one reason or another– flattering or otherwise. They are well known for their facial scarifications and lip-plugs. The hair is real, probably from a barber shop. Still popular in culture, you can easily find them, often at a reasonable price. This one is an especially nice example that was recently sold at Sothebys. Please blow up the photo and tell me how…

Q:  Any information on this mask? Origin, age, and purpose?  Jordan, 1296 A:  My first thought is quickly made tourist mask with no relevance to any culture. But those big red eyes with a large, single eye hole in between are very unusual. If I was cranking out tourist masks for the trade, would I make something like this? No, it’s too weird. So I can’t help you on origin, age or purpose. Maybe someone else can, or at least  comment whether authentic or fake.

In the DRC, mask performances that include Ngulu, the domestic pig, are highly entertaining. Ngulu either dances erect or performs on all fours to dramatize the erratic and uncontrollable nature of pigs. During performances, the dignified movements of such human characters as Pwo, the female ancestor, teaches acceptable social behavior in contrast with the unacceptable behavior of some animal characters. Teaching techniques such as dancing masks and puppetry are used during social gatherings for entertainment, to affirm creation myths, and as well in the initiation ceremonies of young boys who then mature into adulthood. Some people who send mask pictures to me are surprised when I say it is a…

Yaka masks at Didier Claes stand this year in the famous Brussels show. BRAFA has no ‘best stand’ prize, but a strong contender would have been Didier Claes Gallery for sourcing a dozen impressive Yaka masks from the Congo, all at least 50 years old yet complete with raffia fibers. They’re used for the ritual dances associated with circumcision and coming of age, hence the phallic-tending noses and the variety of sizes, different masks with differing powers being worn as the ceremony progresses. They sold out at around €15-20,000 each. As a group of 13 they make quite an impression.

This well-used example of We, Dan or Kran masks is from Ivory Coast or Liberia. The  mask shows signs of long use and excellent age. This mask belongs to the category of  Kaogle and was traditionally associated with warfare. It was also used for judicial and educational ceremonies. Kaogle mask was also used as a dancing mask that served a number of functions in the Poro secret society. Masks like this are referred to as spirits.  Today, like most masks still being produced in this territory, they are used primarily for the entertainment of both villagers and tourists. This mask comes from Africa Direct, a large and successful dealer of…