À propos du lot
n° 38
Titre : A Superb Kuba Mask, Democratic Republic Of The Congo
Dimensions : measurements note length 23 3/4 in. 60.4 cm Provenance : Eliot Elisofon, New YorkLiterature : George Nelson Preston, Sets, Series and Ensembles in African Art, Center for African Art, New York, 1985, p. 64, cat. 63Grace Glueck, The Wonders of African Art Explored in Two Exhibitions, The New York Times, July 19, 1985, p. C25Warren Robbins and Nancy Nooter, African Art in American Collections, Washington, 1989, p. 422, fig. 1071Alisa LaGamma, Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture, New York, 2002, p. 39, cat. 10Notes : In her discussion of the Rosenthal Kuba Mask at the occasion of the exhibition Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, LaGamma (2002: 40) explains: The first man on earth and primordial ancestor of all Kuba people, Woot, is memorialized in a lavishly appointed masquerade that is the prerogative of kings. His persona is invoked to emphasize the continuous lineage that descends from him to the founder of royal lines to contemporary leaders. This particular mask, known as mukyeem or mukyeeng, is unique to the southern Kuba area but closely resembles a related Bushong version known as mwaash aMbooy. Both genres represent Woot, the mukyeem is distinguishable by the elephant trunk form on the top. [...] The imagery of mukyeem and mwaash aMbooy royal masks are said to represent simultaneously Woot, the king, and nature spirits, underscoring the relationship between these forces and Kuba leadership. Mukyeem depict the ruler with the attributes of an elephant because it is an animal of great size and strength, highly prized for its valuable ivory. Such masks were often strongly identified with a specific leader, given personalized names, and guarded at the palace as property of the king. When a mask was new, it was performed first by the king himself, afterward it could be lent to others. Sometimes, at the end of a leader's life, the mask was buried with him.Sotheby's, Salle de vente
, New York, US
🔓Accès libre sans carte bancaire.
Titre de la vente : The Collection of Frieda and Milton Rosenthal: African and Oceanic Art
Date de la vente : 14/11/2008
🔓Accès libre sans carte bancaire.
Référence de l'enchère
: Live Sale
