This is the rating and price for Bamana Wood N'Tomo Mask

Description : West Africa, Mali, Bandiagara region, Bamana people, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A fascinating wooden n'tomo mask depicting a pointed and angular face, hand-carved from a single piece of wood, with a pronged headdress. The visage is stylized with a jutting, ridged nose, and drilled square eye holes. A sizable, 6-pronged headdress rises from the top to symbolize the female gender of the mask. The surface of the wood is a pretty hue of nut-brown that has become richer with age. Annular drill holes flank the vizard, allowing it to be strapped to one's face when worn. Size: 9 W x 28 H (22.9 cm x 71.1 cm) Bamana people have six societies for men, and this mask is representative of the Ntomo, a society for boys before circumcision. They would dance with such masks during their initiation rituals, marking their transition from boys to men. The pronged headdress represents the seeds of creation from the god which created the universe. Interestingly, the number of prongs indicates the gender of the mask with an even number representing a female and an odd number denoting a male. Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, ex-private Houston, Texas, USA, collection, acquired before 2000 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #167332
Price: 347.88 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 600 USD-900 USD It's free to register now to view!

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