This is the rating and price for Baule Wood Mask With Headdress, 2000

Description : Western Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Baule (Baoule) people, ca. early 20th century CE. A gorgeous Baule face mask of an elegant style, hand-carved from wood of a rich mocha brown hue and highly burnished. The serene countenance features slit-form eyes beneath high-arching brows, a slender nose with broad nostrils, high-set ears, full lips, and a short goatee with finely incised striation. Several incised adornments, likely representing wrinkles, face paint, or ritual scarification, adorn the face, including an ovoid outline of raised stippling that encompasses the entire visage, three starburst-like striations on either side of the mouth, two incised diagonal striations beneath the eyes, three raised lines on the outer side of each eye, and three diamond shapes between the eyes. An enormous headdress, skillfully incised to appear as ten vertically placed feathers, caps the tranquil vizard. Size: 6.75 W x 15 H (17.1 cm x 38.1 cm) The verso is carved out for wear by a performer or a dancer, and three drilled strap holes on either side of the periphery enable the mask to be worn securely. Smooth patina across the obverse and verso makes for a fabulous presentation evocative of high quality Baule artistry! The Baule practice of theatrical performances and thespian-centered festivities is called the Mblo, a highly celebrated ceremony honoring upstanding or recently-deceased members of society. Primarily comprised of skits and interpretive dances, the Mblo is meant as an idealized representation of the individual being honored. The portrait masks created for the Mblo are oftentimes modeled after women due to their inherent grace and beauty as well as the entrancing way they dance. Given that women perform in elegant, balletic styles, only the most experienced and highly-skilled dancers are allowed to don these masks. For a stylistically similar example, please see: Bacquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa: Surveying Africa's Artistic Geography. Thames & Hudson, New York, 2000, p. 49, fig. 9. Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA, collection, acquired prior to 2000 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #160958
Price: 622.50 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 600 USD-900 USD It's free to register now to view!

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