Antiques

Item Description

Wooden African mask with sleek lines, adornments, and tribal markings.

17” Tall

11” Wide

11” Deep

Weighs approximately 3 pounds.

From the donor

More than a decade ago, I was traveling through West Africa collecting rare and often antique art. I would sell them to American art galleries and then send a portion of the profits back to the small villages. 

On my course of travel from Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, I grew an affinity for the masks due to their tribal significances. Each mask can usually be traced back to its origins due to the markings, decorations and type of wood it was carved from.

African masks are seen as part of a ceremonial costume. Since they often represent a spirit, it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer. The mask wearer thus becomes a sort of medium that allows for a dialogue between the community and the spirits, usually those of the dead or nature-related spirits. Masked dances are a part of most traditional African ceremonies related to weddings, funerals, initiation rites, in religious and social events, and so on. Ritual ceremonies generally depict deities, spirits of ancestors, mythological beings, the dead, animal spirits, and other beings believed to have power over humanity, moral values or a form of honoring of a person in a symbolic way.

I gravitated to this mask while I was in Ouagadougou, Niger. Ouagadougou was a hip and bustling city full of color and modern luxuries. Women were jeweled and decorative, compared to the countries to the West that are mostly poor farmers. It is known for its film festival, which I was able to attend. Art was abundant. There was a woman selling some unique masks. This one, though it was with a bunch of other masks, stood out from all the others in her stock as well as those I had seen in my travels. The seller of this mask said that it most likely migrated from a country south of the Sahara Desert. I was drawn to its sleek lines, its adornments, and tribal markings.

I hope that the ancestors will watch over the elephants and will direct this mask into the hands of another owner who will enjoy it as much as I have.

Thank you Hollie Despain for this generous donation! 

Item Special Note

Includes Shipping