Q:  I know you have shown similar masks in the past… I’d like to know where the artist got the metal ( I assume the metal is aluminum.) I bought this mask at an estate sale many years ago and don’t remember what I paid for it. Would like your opinion on its origin and was it made for tourists?  It doesn’t matter, I’m just curious. My 3 kids will have a great tag sale one of these days!  Mickey, 1174 A:  Ntomo (N’tomo) masks from Mali are among my favorites. I’m not alone—they are popular throughout the tourist industry. However, your bright and shiny example could easily come from…

Q:  I found this one in my uncle’s house while we where making it ready for sale.  Ingrid, 1173 A:  Mishiki masks are unique to the Chokwe people and they come in many different styles. That’s because this ethnic group is so large. They are spread all over southern DRC (Congo), Angola and Zambia. Size, shape and materials can vary greatly. However, the colors are usually red, white and black. The designs have complex geometric patterns on woven surfaces. They are usually oversized. Please take the time to Google “mishiki masks” to see the diversity of this unusual art form. I love them, but my enthusiasm is not shared by…

Q:  This mask is medium size, about 18″ or so. It is made from very heavy dense wood. There are a series of holes along the sides.  Robert, 1172 A:  The Bembe are part of the large Lega culture in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Masks that look much like this one are worn by boys during their circumcision rites which go on for many days and include an exclusion period. What you see in this photo is a fairly common carving made for retail in local markets or for sale on the internet. They are made rather quickly and are rougher than what you might see in a…

Back on May 5th of this year Chris commented on my post which was of a Mexican decorative that happened to be my first mask ever. He was able to buy his first mask  cheap because the seller admitted it looked old, but had never been used. That kind of honesty is rare. I just found a great looking Sala Mpasu (the more accurate spelling) on the internet that may look like Chris’s.  Bob, 1171 Salampasu masks are easily identified by their bulging foreheads and balls wound of reeds which make up the headpiece and can dangle from the chin. They also have a strong nose and a pointed chin.…

The Chewa are a Bantu people of central and southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in Malawi. Internationally, the Chewa are mainly known for their masks and their secret societies, called Nyau. Historically, all Chewa men belonged to the secret Nyau society. The society’s masks represent the spirits of the deceased, but they can also be bush spirits or personalities from the wider community including Swahili slave traders, British officials, the Virgin Mary and others with antisocial traits and undesirable values. Unlike most West African masks, these Nyau faces often remind you of someone. This one is particularly special in its color combinations. By searching the Africa category on…

Recently I had email exchange with Andrew Berz which resulted in him sending us these excellent photos and the following description. Composition: wood, pigment, heavy layered remains of libations/encrustation, feathers, adhesive/tree tar, original fetish charge on the rear Age: late 19th-early 20th century Dimensions: 9″ x 4″ Provenance: Ex. Berz Gallery of African Art, Ex. Michael Rhodes, NY, Ex. Patrick Nuti, US The Toma are prolific carvers, famous for their large Landai masks. Smaller masks of this style are extremely rare. The Toma have lived in the rain forest and their social and political regulations are grounded in the initiation and life activities of the Poro association. This mask is…

Q:  I was hoping you can identify the possible age and origin of 1 of 2 masks purchased from a local sale here in New Jersey?  Both were purchased for less than $10 and the size of the painted wooden one I’m inquiring about here is roughly 10 x 7-1/2 x 5 inches. Can you please help?  Jo, 1163 A:  Fortunately I was able to discover a similar mask from the Pere of the DRC. They are a semi-nomadic tribe in northeastern area somewhere between the Komo and the Ndaaka that came from Uganda in the 1800’s. It was suggested the mask was used to celebrate the ancestor cult, Ndekele,…

Q:  I bought this mask last year for $75 on eBay.  There is a receipt showing that the mask was sold in 1970 for $275 at a fundraiser for an art museum.  I haven’t been able to identify it, but the colonial figure on top is interesting. Thanks for all your help so far.  I am a “senior citizen” who began collecting after I bought a mask at our local flea market one year ago, and I hope that I have a few treasures among the trash.  Fred, 1162 A:  This Gelede wooden headdress is a treasure carved from a single piece of light wood. The human face appears to…

Q:  I’d appreciate any information on this mask. I bought it at an estate sale several years ago. It is very light wood and the paint seems to be original. Could it be part of a totem?  I’ve searched lots of sites with no results.  Mickey, 1157 A:  The Bobo (or Bwa) live in the dry savannah land of central Burkina Faso. Like other people in this area, they seek the help of powerful spirits who live in the wild forests, bush country and rivers surrounding their villages. This mask is traditional in design and its choice of black, white and red. The triangular jaw (or beak) is not seen…

I have a fondness for African masks, especially if I know they are authentic. Unfortunately, most of the ones that look old and used are not. But they sell well. So I keep my eyes pealed for masks colorfully painted with store-bought enamel. That is what African carvers have been painting with on the masks they sell to dancers for ceremonies… since the middle of the last century. Here is a handsome, 35-inch antelope mask that was probably performed only once and sold to a smart bystander. Most runners don’t buy this brightly colored stuff, and certainly not one with a jet plane on its middle horn. (That black color…