À propos du lot
n° 2591
Titre : A Lwalwa Copper Covered Facemask
Notes : Provenance:Henry and Evelyn Kagan Exhibited:Governors State University, IL, 2003Krannert Art Museum, IL, 2003Belger Art Foundation/University of Missouri-Kansas City, MO, 2004Tall Grass Art Association, IL, 2005Published:Bourgeois and Rodolitz, REMNANTS OF RITUAL: SELECTIONS FROM THE GELBARD COLLECTION OF AFRICAN ART, Ethnos, New York, 2003, p.41, fig.93The Lwalwa produce some of the most dramatically conceived masks in Central Africa, the forms being complex syntheses of concavity and planar geometry. Utilized by the Ngongo society which is primarily concerned with hunting increase and anti-witchcraft activity, Lwalwa masks are worn in acrobatic dances by men and are secured buy a string, passing through the face into the interior just below the nose, that holds the mask in place and is clenched between the teeth of the dancer. This particular example falls into another realm though altogether as it has been covered in plates of copper. This identifies the mask as having been associated with Lwalwa chieftaincy, as expressed in the Lwalwa concept of the meaning of copper in cultural context. As well as the obvious signs of age of the mask itself, the old native copper and the fine workmanship attest to a traditional origin. The harmonious interplay of forms is readily apparent in this example and the rounded concave features magnificently integrate with the block-like mass of the nasal ridge, the elongated chin completing the overall composition in perfect balance.Bonhams 2, Salle de vente
, New York, US
🔓Accès libre sans carte bancaire.
Titre de la vente : Fine African and Oceanic Art
Date de la vente : 13/11/2007
🔓Accès libre sans carte bancaire.
Référence de l'enchère
: Live Sale
