Q: I recently picked up this for my friend who collects masks from an estate sale in Southern California. Unfortunately the owner was not present but someone told me they thought it resembled a mask they bought from an Ivory Coast tribe. They were originally asking $300 but I got it from a friend who was working the sale on the last day for $125. It appears to be made of a composite type wood because it has little fibers present here and there. It measure 22″ x 8″. Eric, 1347 A: This came the day after the Lega mask on the right. It is a classic Baule ancestor mask…
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Reproduction of Lega mask
Q: I have been trying to identify this mask for a while now. It was a thrift shop purchased , and all I know is that it looks like it was from Africa. The mask measures 14″ high x 8″ wide. It looks like it was exposed to water at one time. Steven, 1346 A: This carving looks like many Lega masks that could be found in the large area of the eastern DRC which is home to this ethnic group. It probably was made there for visiting tourists or the worldwide collector market. Or it could have been made somewhere else. It would fit into any collection…
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Bargain for classic African mask
Here is a well designed and colored Guru mask. It is a little different than others, but at the same time, very much in the classic tradition. Guru mask makers like to express themselves artistically. But it is not authentic and made for commercial purposes only, which lowers the price greatly. Go to the vendor’s page where you’ll see the sale price, plus more photos and information. Guru mask from the Ivory Coast have long been favorites of collectors, especially in the USA.
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Info on 2334 masks
Left of me on the header of our home page is this cute little goat mask from Guerrero. In the Chivo Dance there are two lines of dancing goats. They wear masks with horns, a headdress, or both. The masks are very colorful, like toys for children. Mexican masks are usually meant to be entertaining. This mask will now be number 1334 in the site’s archives, which are listed as “categories” on the right of each mask page. In our book, Masks of the World, by Ibold and Yohn, there are photos and descriptions of 990 masks. So when you use our book and the website, you have access to…
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Bozo masks are usually real
If you go to this Pinterest site you’ll see over a 100 different Bozo masks from Mali and Burkina Fasso that have been worn in culture. You can still find these colorful artifacts selling for a few hundred dollars. An authentic mask from a more famous tribe in West Africa will cost many thousands. Those brown, old looking masks you see all over the place almost always are fake reproductions. Wikipedia says: The Bozo are a West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali. The name Bozo is thought to derive from Bambara bo-so “straw house”; the people accept it as referring to the whole of…
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Romanian traditional mask
This Romanian ritualistic mask from Moldova always has an unique appearance of a big beard and long red nose. They’re used over a wide area, from the Banat to Moldavia and from Oltenia to Maramures. The dances are considered the most picturesque events and tourists love them. They are a meaningful component of the folk customs celebrated in villages for the coming of the New Year, funerals, agricultural and hunting rituals.These dances originate from the pre-Christian times when the never ending struggle between good and evil had an impact on everyone. After Dan got his excellent German mask for so little money, I took a look at some other European…
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Witch mask from Germany
Q: This isn’t a mystery mask, but I thought it was a nice find for $27. It’s a German Hexe mask, I believe from Offenburg. The mask itself is about 13″H and it has an attached scarf, which drapes over a wire frame that’s attached to the mask. Dan, 1341 At the beginning of the thirties the first witches appeared in the organized Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet. They were the Offenburg witches, who were officially founded on Epiphany in 1936. Unlike the rather deliberate fool, the witch is a figure with whom one can do a lot. Witches are free, they can climb, can make Radau, build pyramids and annoy the spectators.…
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New mask from Michoacan
This is a recently made Mexican mask that most collectors would want. I believe it is either a Hermit or a Moor from somewhere in the state of Michoacan. The carver is very talented so one of our visitors might be able to tell us his name and village. New masks are more affordable than used ones.
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Old Guatemalan mask
Here is an old conquistador dance mask that hasn’t been used a lot. Expressively carved from hardwood, the eyebrows, eyelashes, hair and upper lip show remnants of black paint, while the teeth have traces of white. His wavy side-parted hair and long sideburns were characteristic of the Spaniards depicted in these dances. His glass eyes are now missing. There is no morreria mark that I can see. I still like it!
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Puerto Rican art mask
This is a beautifully papier mache Vejigante mask that is too expensive to wear in a Ponce or San Juan carnival. It’s made for serious mask and art collectors. From an anthropological standpoint it certainly demonstrates the wonderful influence African culture had on modern Caribbean foik art. Please enlarge and look at the detail. v
