Masks like this one come from Liberia or Ivory Coast. It could be from the Bete, We or Kran people. We know that African masks had an influence on Western modern art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but this is recent. In most computer programming languages, a Boolean data type has only two possible values: true or false. I like the way this sculpture looks. Is it Boolean or not? You can read and see more about Boolian design here.
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Decorative African reproduction
Q: I received this mask from a friend who ran a record store in San Francisco in the ’90s and would occasionally buy artwork from a West African trader (country and price unknown). It has fabric flaps that must cover the ears, little floppy ears on top, and a conical headpiece. The tufts of hair may be from a goat or horse, they don’t appear to be human. There are two metal spheres that rattle attached to the lower front edge. There is a white arrow-shaped patch on the crown that appears to be made of plastic or rubber, with red embroidered stitching. C.C., 1270 A: This is a reproduction…
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Inexpensive West African mask
Q: I found this mask at an antique shop a few years ago. Think I paid around $15. It is 10” long and 7” wide. I would like to find out more about it and hope you can help me. Thanks in advance! Renske, 1259 A: That’s a wonderful mask for $15. People will pay hundreds for a careful reproduction and thousands for an authentic mask. Why not this one? Though it looks West Africa, it is a mixture of many different tribes. All I can tell for sure is that is was artificially aged. I am not an expert on African masks. If you see a mask you like…
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Another clay piece, but not a mask
The Mangbetu people are known for their highly developed art. They were located in the Belgian Congo (today the northeast region of the DRC) and stood out to European explorers because of their elongated heads and beautiful scarification. Traditionally their babies’ heads were wrapped tightly with cloth in order to give them this elongated head appearance. This practice, called Lipombo, began dying out in the 1950s with the arrival of more Europeans and westernization. Scarification is the practice of incising the skin with a sharp instrument. It is no longer practiced today either. Here is an old clay sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of a Mangbetu woman. Even though it…
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Boldly Cubist: An Early Elephant Mask
From the Igbo Izzi of Nigeria, hardwood; kaolin and pigment stain (layers from reapplications from multiple uses), encrustation from shrine applications and applied offerings. Dimensions: 20.5″ (h) x 12″ (w) / 52.07 cm (h) x 30.48 cm (w), age: turn of 20th century. This beautifully expressive elephant spirit mask was danced as a symbol of strength and clarity for the Igbo community. It has been centuries since elephants roamed Nigeria, and this type of abstracted image of an elephant is the result of historical verbal description rather than artistic license. From a recent ad of Berz Gallery of African Art. The influence of African traditional art on 19th Century European…
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A Mystery Mask
Q: I emailed you yesterday about a mask I had bought which appeared to be partially covered in gold foil. Just to say that I took it to a jeweler today and he confirmed it is indeed gold! I bought the mask together with a sword which may or may not be from the same tribe. The sword was made by the Fang tribe who live in Gabon and Cameroon. George, 1245 A: I can’t identify this mask. Based on the little you have told me, I would guess it is West African. Then there is the fact it does not look like a made-for-the-market fake. Let’s hope that some…
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Huge butterfly mask from the Bwa
I’m sure you have seen these great horizontal masks inspired by butterflies and hawks. They are made for important ceremonies, but of course we collectors enjoy displaying them over a door or some other wide space. This is the best one I’ve ever seen. It is currently being displayed at the National Museum of African Art which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. This museum is easy to miss in the middle of Washington because it is mostly underground and appears to be just a very small building in the mall area. This fabulous mask was made in the 20th century by the Bwa people in Burkina Fasso. A+
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David Norden Buy African Antiques
Check out this auction that is starting tomorrow at a French auction house called Catawiki. There are five African masks from David Norton for sale. The quality appears to be very good, starting bids are reasonable, and the auction charge is just 9%. The one I’m showing is a Mbuya from the Pende people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The others are Kuba, Winiama, Ituri and Lega. Nice masks.
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Blended mask from West Africa
Q: Please help me identify what kind of mask is that and if its authentic or any information you can give me will be highly appreciated. Thank you! Natalya, 1233 A: You can easily say this mask is from somewhere in West Africa. It certainly has a nice looking face with a great bird on top, but I can’t tell what tribe made it. The design elements are a mix coming from different cultures in that part of Africa. We see a lot of blended masks these days. This should not surprise– Africans, like us, can easily see masks from other places. Authenticity means used for celebrations rather than sale…
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Younger buyers and five figure sales mark “turning point”
This Ivory Coast Ligbi mask was one of the highlight sales at the recent edition of Tribal Art London. The anthropomorphic face mask, measuring 30cm (12in) tall, is carved in wood with pigments, cloth and fibers. It was offered with a good provenance for a price in the region of $16,000 by first-time exhibitor Mark Eglinton, who is based in New York. Tribal Art London, which took place from September 6-9 at the Mall Galleries, featured 23 exhibitors. It was the largest event to date for the fair which is now 10 years old. It is organized by Bryan Reeves of Tribal Gathering London who called this a “turning point”.…
