Bobo Bwa Vintage African Mask Ivory Coast Mali Burkina Faso Authentic - $1,485 - (Billings, MT)
Bobo Bwa Vintage African Mask Ivory Coast Mali Burkina Faso Authentic Tall mask has a human face below, two layers of wing shapes, and a hornbill beak at the top. An intriguing mask from Western Sudan. The term Western Sudan can be misleading because it does not include any part of modern Sudan, but signifies the sub Saharan countries west of Sudan including the grassy tree-covered regions of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. The Bobo and Bwa are distinct peoples but hold some aspects of their religion in common.The colors and geometric shapes are archetypal for masks from this area. The particular shapes and colors in the mask as well as the hornbill hold various meanings to the peoples who use them. They are one of the few peoples in Western Africa who have mostly resisted foreign culture and continue to practice their traditional religions, so traditional masks such as this are still used in ceremonies. Height- 33" (84 cm) Condition - Three of the wings have been broken, two have been re-attached, one is loose. For the photographs it is held on by a rubber band. Otherwise the mask is in good condition showing some wear on the edges and high points from use. The colors are good. This mask is part of a collection acquired over a several year period in the early to mid 1970’s in Nigeria and other West African countries so this mask is at least 45 years old. Most likely much older since it has been mostly in storage since it was acquired. It certainly needed time to attain its current patina. They have been appraised, and we are offering them on ebay at reasonable prices. We are not experts but have gotten our information from what we judge to be reasonable resources. We have tried our best to accurately describe the origin, the people, and originating location of the masks. Use your own judgement as to the accuracy of our information. Thank You for looking. We have several African masks to list. So please look at our other auctions if you are interested.
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From ebay.com - 1 month ago