Africa

Inexpensive West African mask

Q:  I found this mask at an antique shop a few years ago. Think I paid around $15. It is 10” long and 7” wide. I would like to find out more about it and hope you can help me. Thanks in advance!  Renske, 1259

A:  That’s a wonderful mask for $15. People will pay hundreds for a careful reproduction and thousands for an authentic mask.

Why not this one? Though it looks West Africa, it is a mixture of many different tribes. All I can tell for sure is that is was artificially aged. I am not an expert on African masks.

If you see a mask you like in a thrift shop, buy it. When you become a serious collector you may want to get rid of some. I have, but I’ve kept a few because I still enjoy them.  C

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