Description : Bassa Mask, Liberia
gela
height 9in (22.9cm)
Provenance
Marc and Joan Sherman Collection, New York
Marceau Rivière Collection, Paris
Galerie Olivier Castellano, Paris
New York Private Collection
Published
Roberts, Warren M. and Nancy Ingram Nooter, African Art in American Collections, Smithsonian Institution, 2004, fig. 325
The artist of this elegant gela mask has carved the profile in a visually pleasing S-curve. The prominent coiffure, with wide, rounded horizontal bands bordered at the front with a braided band, rises high above the broad forehead in an A-frame. Large coffee-bean eyes with bulbous lids mark the center of the mask which gradually narrows down to the chin. The rim along the facial plane is pierced with multiple holes, many worn through, for fiber attachment; black, shiny patina with encrustations and wear indicative of significant age and use.
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À propos du lot
n° 69 Titre : Bassa Mask, Liberia Condition report : Old loss and erosion to the base of the chin; old holes to the surface of the coiffure; age distress split to the top rim; old loss to rim on the left temple area with nail inserted in the area, possibly for an old restoration; minor wear, scratches, abrasions and chips throughout consistent with age and use within the culture.