 Q: I bought this rather large masks at a flea market where an African man was selling several masks from his van. It is around two feet long. I paid fifty dollars for it, but now am wondering if I made a smart purchase or not. Any opinions? Fred, 1363
A: This is a reproduction of mask that the Bobo people of Burkina Fasso made for sale to exporters or tourists. It has been artificially aged and is recently made. Fifty dollars is a fair price. My knowledge of West African traditional art is limited so I can’t explain why it would combine the features of an antelope and a bird. Perhaps one of our African mask collectors can explain this. Sorry about the blurry photography. C
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Big bird from Borneo
Old Dogon masks from Mali
