Q:  Please could you assist me.  I recently bought a number of Guro masks on an auction in South Africa.  They were part of a deceased estate.  The collection comprised Gu masks, Zamble masks and anthropomorphic masks. The variety and fine carving of these masks suggests that they represent a collection of authentic  objects.  Sharon, 1089 A:  There is a style of Guro carving that started in West Africa sometime in the 20th century that became very popular with collectors. I’ve done two other blogs on them– #765 and #977– and I know a guy who collects only these and a shop in Philadelphia that specialized in them. However, they…

Q:  A friend of mine acquired this mask during his trip to Stone Town, Zanzibar at a small gift shop. Mask’s height is 23 cm, width 13 cm. The wood is unknown to me, all I can say – it’s very light, but at the same time quite solid. Paint looks like some natural pigments mixed with an adhesive, something similar to tempera maybe. We believe this mask to be a typical souvenir mask, of course, however, I’m not sure if the design is based on something traditional or not. Something close to Dan beaked masks or Luba, perhaps. Hope you can clarify this.  Andrey, 1088 A:  Sometimes African masks…

This photo of Kple Kple and Kpan Pre masked dancers during a Goli performance, Kondeyaokro village, Ivory Coast, was just sent to me by David Norton, the African arts dealer. So I thought I’d share them with you as well. American photographer Eliot Elisofon (1911-1973) spent decades traveling around Africa. A pioneer in color photography, he worked as a color consultant on Hollywood movies and changed Western perceptions of ‘the Dark Continent’ and about African Art with his book Sculpture of Africa 1978 ( http://amzn.to/2iEdUJw)  These pictures are from his collection of African masquerades (1942-1972) curated at the National Museum of African Art. See the images here:  http://flashbak.com/african-masquerades-incredible-photos-of-tribal-masks-1942-1972-37764/

  Q:  Got a lot of old and nice stuff from my father… I found an old African mask from the area of Gabon that’s about a hundred years old. This information is from an expert settled in Vienna, Austria, Dr Erwin Melchardt.  I would like to sell the mask to a collector.  Moe, 1074 A:  I’m not an expert on any of the many cultures around the world that practice masquerade. All I can tell you about this object covered with black paint and white kaolin is that it reminds me of some masks I have seen from West-Central Africa including the Punu in Cameroon, the Yombe in the…

Q:  I’m asking for an ethnic ID of this mask. It shows good age and use. It was sold to me on eBay as Ovimbundu by Michel Muhandele who sells as Ebony Tree. He has recently offered Ovimbundu statues that appear authentic. The mask shows Chokwe/Lwena elements like facial cheek markings and the large ‘coiffure.’ But Ovimbundu seems more likely. They are neighbors of the Chokwe in Angola. Comparisons of the mask with Ovimbundu statues and staffs show similar cheek markings. Also similar are the eyes and almost closed mouth. The brownish patina is common in Ovimbundu statues. And there are two buttons embedded in the coiffure, one on each…

The Ekoi-speaking peoples (also called Ejagham) are best known for their large, skin-covered masks, which may have one, two or even three faces, and for their smaller headpieces, which represent a head or an entire figure. In the old days human skin was said to be used by the Leopard Society members who used the masks in their rituals. These skin-covered helmet-masks are unique in Africa. They can only be found in the Cross River region of southeast Nigeria and a part of Cameroon. Unfortunately, we don’t see nice ones like this on the market often.  Bob, 1067   Save

  I bought this mask about 30 years ago. It came without information, but there was no doubt it represented a bearded white man. I was certain it was carved some where in Africa. Since then I have seen others. Two of the best are a Dogon mask on page 72 of Susan Vogel’s Africa Explores, and the one of Elvis Presley in the Brooklyn Museum’s collection. But there are many more and almost all are funny. Have you seen one?  1057 Save Save Save Save Save Save

  Q:  Important for me is your opinion of this mask. This is a Mumuye zoomorphic mask from my collection.  This mask as you can see is very old with 45 cm height and weight of 1200 grams . I buy before month from a private seller.  Negris, 1052 A:  It could be a Mumuye vabo or a Mambila suaga mask. Both tribes are fairly close to each other in southern Nigeria or northeast Cameroon. Either way, this is a beautiful West African mask. Though a bit crudely carved, it is unique in both design and color, and would be a nice addition to any serious collection. Unfortunately a museum…

Q:  This is my Punu crest mask/reliquary head.  In the research that I have done, I have not seen anything quite like this one, i.e., the chin strap and mouth shape.  Any information that you or your readers could provide would be appreciated.  This mask was purchased in the Philadelphia area in the early ’90s.  Dan, 1050 A:  Let’s try to help Dan. He thinks he has a really nice Punu artifact. But there is no provenance. The best I can tell him is that I enjoy the way it looks. Surely their are viewers who can tell him a bit more.

Q:  I have no idea about this mask.  John, 1048 A:  It would be nice to know dimensions, when, where and how much you paid. None the less, I can tell you it is some kind of monkey mask from West Africa. More specific information will be difficult if the mask was made for sale to tourists or exporters, which I am pretty sure is the case. Comments will be appreciated.