Baule, Ivory Coast: An unusually beautiful, old mask of the ‘portrait mask’ type.
The Baule people of central Ivory Coast carve ‘portrait masks’, such as the present one, in order to ‘caricature’ well-known members of their society or commemorate the dead on the occasion of grand dance feasts in their villages.
The present, male ‘portrait mask’ (with beard) is especially beautiful, simple and even. Carved from hard brown wood and coloured black and brown. With frizzy hair, ‘classical’ wide eyebrows, arched eyelids with fine, vertical hatched lines, a long, flat nose, typical tribal tattoos on the temples as well as on the corners of the open mouth, a serrated beard on the cheeks and a goatee made of short plaits. A rare, beautiful example of the style of Sakasso.
With patina and noticeable, old traces of usage, especially on the back and on the fastening eyelets for the mask costume! Only one minor flaw due to age (the fourth short braid of the goatee is broken), otherwise in perfect condition. With an old collection number on the inside.
First third of the 20th century; H: 26 cm. (ME)
Provenance: French Private Collection; since 1964 in an Austrian Private Collection.
Lit.: ‘Baule. African Art - Western Eyes’ by Susan M. Vogel, fig. p. 27, 95, 135, 142, 143, 165, 168.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
26.05.2015 - 15:00
- Realized price: **
-
EUR 2,500.-
- Estimate:
-
EUR 4,000.- to EUR 5,000.-
Baule, Ivory Coast: An unusually beautiful, old mask of the ‘portrait mask’ type.
The Baule people of central Ivory Coast carve ‘portrait masks’, such as the present one, in order to ‘caricature’ well-known members of their society or commemorate the dead on the occasion of grand dance feasts in their villages.
The present, male ‘portrait mask’ (with beard) is especially beautiful, simple and even. Carved from hard brown wood and coloured black and brown. With frizzy hair, ‘classical’ wide eyebrows, arched eyelids with fine, vertical hatched lines, a long, flat nose, typical tribal tattoos on the temples as well as on the corners of the open mouth, a serrated beard on the cheeks and a goatee made of short plaits. A rare, beautiful example of the style of Sakasso.
With patina and noticeable, old traces of usage, especially on the back and on the fastening eyelets for the mask costume! Only one minor flaw due to age (the fourth short braid of the goatee is broken), otherwise in perfect condition. With an old collection number on the inside.
First third of the 20th century; H: 26 cm. (ME)
Provenance: French Private Collection; since 1964 in an Austrian Private Collection.
Lit.: ‘Baule. African Art - Western Eyes’ by Susan M. Vogel, fig. p. 27, 95, 135, 142, 143, 165, 168.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
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| Auction: | Tribal Art |
| Auction type: | Saleroom auction |
| Date: | 26.05.2015 - 15:00 |
| Location: | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
| Exhibition: | 20.05. - 26.05.2015 |
** Purchase price incl. buyer's premium and VAT
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