Lot 149
Africa, lower Kasai region of central Zaire, Kuba culture, ca. mid-20th century CE. An impressive Mukenga/Mukyeem mask - a full head mask with a raffia collar, sewn with colored beads, cowrie shells, spotted fur, carved wooden ears, nose and mouth, a padded cloth ground, and the characteristic superstructure in the shape of an elephant's trunk elaborately covered with cowrie shells as well as panels and bands of colorful red, yellow, blue, orange, white, and black beads arranged in textile-inspired geometric patterns, with two small "tusks" also adorned with colorful beads protruding from the base of the trunk, and a tuft of raffia adorning its tip. In addition to this magnificent trunk, the visage is finely delineated with cowrie shell eyes frames with red and blue beads in a hemispherical arrangement, a carved wooden nose (highlighted with blue and white beads) and mouth, and a beaded headband presenting a round centerpiece comprised of blue and white beads and a band of cowrie shells framed with colorful beads - all upon a magnificent spotted fur face. While most Kuba art and material culture centers upon the royal court, this mask is technically a non-royal variant of the Mwaash aMbooy type mask. This said, as in other African kingdoms including the Asante and those of the Cameroon grassfields, elephants are associated with royal might and power, and this traditional Kuba proverb eloquently captures this connection, "an animal, even if it is large, does not surpass the elephant. A man, even if he has authority, does not surpass the king." (Binkley 1992: 277) Masks like this example are worn by performers at funeral ceremonies of elite Kuba leaders. A fine example comparable to those featured in respected museum collections and exceptional auctions. For example, a similar mask sold at Sotheby's New York for $10,755 USD - Session 1 November 2, 2015. Custom, museum-quality stand. Size: mask itself measures 21.5" H (54.6 cm); 27.5" H (69.8 cm) on stand
Provenance: Ex-NYC collection, Ex Josephine and Walter Buhl Ford II collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#117780
- Condition: Choice.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
All payments are due at the fall of the hammer unless otherwise specified. Please be aware of this. Most likely the card on file at auction registration will be charged for purchases, buyer premium and any other applicable fees. Late payments are subject to fees and penalties at the discretion of the Auction House. Be aware that invoice delinquency WILL lead to disabling of a bidder account and making all bidding unavailable through this online service. Payments unpaid or late will result in the account being sent to a collections agency. This can affect your overall credit scores for up to 7 years. Your bidder registration has been researched before approval for bidding at auction. The card provided on file was verified for identity purposes prior to approval. Lastly, chargeback's will not be accepted for any reason or on any purchase through this online service. No exceptions.
All property is sold "AS IS", and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company may attempt to describe the merchandise in advertising, on the Internet and at the auction but makes no representations. In no event shall Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company be held responsible for having made or implied any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Bidder shall be the sole judge of value.
Bidders who bid from off site and are not present at the live auction or preview understand and acknowledge that they may not be able to inspect an item as well as if they examined it in person. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company shall endeavor to describe in detail each item and any pertinent information about it. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the description of the merchandise unless it is a material and intentional misrepresentation of the item itself. Bidder agrees that everything is sold as is and that they may not return any item they purchase. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company is providing Internet pre-auction and live bidding as a service to Bidder. Bidder acknowledges and understands that this service may or may not function correctly the day of the auction. Under no circumstances shall Bidder have any kind of claim against Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company or anyone else if the Internet service fails to work correctly before or during the live auction. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any missed bids from any source. Internet bidders who desire to make certain their bid is acknowledged should use the absentee bidding feature and leave their maximum bid 24 hours before the auction begins. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company reserves the right to withdraw or re-catalog items in this auction.
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |