Rare Baule Mbolo Ceremonial Portrait Mask Wood Ivory Coast W Africa Unknown Age

Description: Mbolo Portrait Mask from the Baule people of the Ivory Coast West Africa hand carved and of unknown age. Mbolo portrait masks are known for their well coiffured stylized hair, facial scarifications, and other ornaments. The Mbolo masks face is most often portrayed introspective with large downcast eyes. The mask is worn during Mbolo ceremonial dances and is an expression of the woman’s beauty and dance skill. While the Mbolo mask may depict men or women they are most often created to express a particular women’s facial characteristics and beauty, and worn during the Mbolo ceremonial dance. This mask size is approximately 10 inches tall and 7 inches from side to side with well defined facial features. There is a small crack in the woods surface of one of the holes used to affix the mask to the wearers face that does not penetrate through the wood (see pictures for condition) and above one of the eye lids likely from age and woods natural tendency to expand with temperature changes. The inside of the mask show signs of wear and from perspiration. The mask has great patina and displays very well. Inside the mask someone wrote Baule Ivory Coast and 4-14-90-10000 (see pictures). I do not know its age as this was an estate acquisition, and came with no additional information. Additional pictures will be made available upon request or for scholarship study. The mask will ship UPS with signature requirement. Thank you

Price: 320 USD

Location: Pomona, California

End Time: 2024-11-26T23:01:14.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD