Antiques, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction
Lot 417:
Kuba (Kasai Region, D.R. Congo), Ritual Dance Mask with Cloth Remnant
Description
An expressive Kuba mask from the Kasai region, distinguished by its sharply defined facial planes, projecting nose, and deeply carved brows. The surface retains traces of blue, red, and white pigments, applied to highlight the eyes and linear cheek markings. The tiered coiffure rises to a point, symbolizing prestige and ancestral authority. Carved wood with polychrome pigment and cloth remnant
Height: approx. 16” x 7.5”
Around the perimeter, numerous pierced holes reveal evidence of field use, including a surviving remnant of woven cloth still tied through one of the upper holes, a rare and authentic detail indicating original costume attachment. The interior shows age patina and extensive hand-tool marks from traditional carving.
Masks of this type were performed during initiation and funerary ceremonies, embodying ancestral spirits and noble lineage figures within Kuba cosmology.
Condition: Good ethnographic condition with pigment losses, age wear, and stable fissures; retains original cloth tie.
Provenance: Private collection, Canada.
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