Lot 279

Arte Africana

Kpelle/Dan, Guinea Ivory Coast, Small mask. Hardwood with natural patina. Signs of use. Provenance: Ex. Franco Monti collection.

A mask of small size but of considerable artistic aesthetic value, in the shape of a human face characterized by a convex forehead, a prominent nose concealing some holes underneath, probably originally used to stop monkey hair (now missing) falling over the square mouth.
The latter may have originally been carved in the shape of a toucan's beak as in the Gagon male masks of the Dan. In accordance with Ezio Bassani's description of a very similar mask in the collection of the Extra-European Collections of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, in order to be attributed with certainty to the Kpelle ethnic group (or Guerzè, one of the 140 nicknames given to this Guinean people), this mask should have circular tubular eyes, while in the masks of the same type of the neighboring Dan they should be slit-shaped. It is therefore difficult to give a definite area of origin to this mask, since although the eyebrow arches are well highlighted, the eyes are not even hinted at. To get out of the dilemma I again borrow the words of Bassani who again in the same card proposes; "It is possible that the iconography of the Kpelle masks derives from the superimposition of elements of the Gagon masks of the Dan and others derived from the Landau masks of the Toma of Liberia."

With base.

Measures: 17.0 x 6.0 x 8.0 cm

Type of object Maschere

Department AFRICA, OCEANIA E AMERICHE

Period Arte africana

Starting price: 200,00

Estimate: 500,00 - 800,00

The lot will be auctioned on 05 July starting from 17:00.
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© 2024 Capitolium Art | P.IVA 02986010987 | REA: BS-495370 | Capitale Sociale € 10.000 | Er. pubbliche 2020

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