Q:  Please share these images with Bob of African masks that we saw at an art opening in Cincinnati on Friday evening. (This one was priced at $1000, according to the label.)  John, 1301 A:  Here’s a nice find–  a Nganga Diphomba that comes from the Southwest part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a female version, but of course, it would be worn by a man. The character’s purpose is to reveal the reason for an accident, illness or death. I think it is well designed, colored and accessorized. For a mask like this you must determine whether it is an excellent reproduction or an authentic artifact.…

I love these big helmet masks. It’s a 10-inch-high Lipiko of the Makonde people from Tanzania or Mozambique. It would be kept  in a small hut behind the village elder’s home and shown at feasts or during initiation ceremonies. Represents a person of importance to the village for one reason or another– flattering or otherwise. They are well known for their facial scarifications and lip-plugs. The hair is real, probably from a barber shop. Still popular in culture, you can easily find them, often at a reasonable price. This one is an especially nice example that was recently sold at Sothebys. Please blow up the photo and tell me how…