It is a very unusual type of mask from the Bété (or possibly their smaller neighbouring tribe, the Niabwa). It is carved from hard, dark brown wood. It has a flat face with a vertical central line in relief on the forehead (a scarification mark), wide, slit ‘coffee bean eyes’, a short nose and a wide, open mouth on the front. The towering, rounded forehead and the mouth (with its four animal teeth) were originally coloured in white with kaolin. The rest is black. The line of the forehead, eyebrows, nasal bridge and mouth are – just like each of the seven curved spikes – emphasised with rows of old decorative brass nails. The seven inwardly-curving spikes are each c. 18 cm long and made of wood. Five of them are white (kaolin), two are dyed black. All the spikes are attached to the edge of the mask around the lower half of the face with old strips of leather, which, in turn, are nailed on with decorative brass nails. A highly interesting, unusual and rare mask. It has a very good and old usage patina on the front and back, as well as age-related colour abrasion (on the white kaolin) and some small pieces broken off around the lower edge of the forehead, on the back rim and on some of the spikes. Otherwise no damage. Height: 29 cm; width: 18 cm; depth: c. 20 cm (from the rear mask rim to the end of the arrowheads on the front). Between c. 1900 and the first third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Hungarian private collection.