Q:  I was recently in South Africa and purchased a mask in the Green Market in Cape Town. I paid around $75 for it and was impressed by the vendor’s knowledge of the different masks he had. This one especially caught my attention as it was so different than the others. I would love to know about its origins and anything else you might determine.  Alan, 865 A:  This looks like a Mwana Pwo mask from the Chokwe people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Q:  My friend purchased this ceremonial Natvie American mask from someone in the same area where we live, Schuylkill County, PA. This is what we were told: it is a Native American ceremonial “good luck” mask named the Black Eagle, probably just because of the large nose. It was said to be 100-150 years old. It was thought to be Lenape  Indian in style. Someone else told us he thought it was Seminole.  It is a lighter density wood, 13 1/2 ” high by 12″ across. It weighs only 5 1/2 pounds and is life sized to go on someone’s head. There are good luck rolling logs on either cheek.

Q:  I have a lot of masks. I like to collect them. Especially African masks. A week before ı bought another one. I think it is from the Bacongo people of the DRC, and made of wood.  Actually the seller didn’t have any info on it. I bought it for 30 dollar. Could you tell me more about this mask. I hope it is old and original. Thanks.  Suleyman, 861 A:  Bacongo is a pretty good guess, but this example is crude and lacking any easily recognized features.

Q:  I just got this from a private auction.  I paid less than $100, but I consider it to be very high quality.  I already had 2 Mende helmets in my collection, both of reasonably high quality, but when I saw this, I knew it was exceptionally well done.  So I bid on it and won at a much lower price than I expected.   Aaron, 857 A:  I’m so pleased that Aaron is sharing this with us. It’s a famous helmet mask worn only by women, which is very unusual in West Africa.