Description:

African, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ituri rainforest region, ca. early 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden mask representing an ancestral spirit, the head of an overall cylindrical form with an angled lower plane featuring an openwork rectangular mouth with four inset wooden teeth and a pointed nose with incised nostrils at the upper end. Rectangular openwork eyes adorn the middle section; above is a high rounded headdress. A long russet raffia beard is woven through perforations at the base, and a plaited raffia band is tied to two sides of mask for the wearer. A striking piece of a type that undoubtedly influenced modern Cubists of the early 20th century. Size: wood mask measures 7.5" W x 11" H (19 cm x 27.9 cm); mask + raffia + stand 18.375" H (46.7 cm)

Provenance: private Paris, London AB collection

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#123299

  • Condition: A few old chips to back edges, old loss to band above one eye, surface wear and minor staining to area of lower section. Overall excellent and rare.

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July 11, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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