Roosje:  My daughter-in-law is interested in masks. I enjoy searching for affordable art and she asked me to keep an eye open for one. I found this mask (I live in the Netherlands) in an antique store of whom the owner is retiring and selling his stock for reduced prices. I paid 40 euro for the mask. I liked it very much and thought if my daughter in law does not want it, I will keep it myself. It is now hanging on my wall 🙂  I have been searching for information and I suspect that it is a mask from the Ivory Coast, Liberia. I am curious, is it…

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.…