Description
Face mask De. Liberia. H 22cm. With slit eyes, open mouth, small ears typical of the Bassa and an iron hook above the forehead. Illustrated in: K.-F. Schaedler, Afrikanische Kunst. Von der Frühzeit bis heute (1997) Fig.2. The De are a small subgroup of the Bassa and inhabit the northern region of Monrovia. Bassa and De are culturally influenced by their surrounding neighbors, i.e. the Kpelle, Gola, Vai and Mende in the northwest and the Kru, Kran, Grebo and Dan in the east. In addition, De and Bassa are united in the same cultural women's association, the Bundu or Sande society, which is reflected in their masks (figurines are very rare) including face and helmet masks. While the helmet masks bear striking similarities to those of the Mende, the face masks have long been mistaken for those of the Dan. Traces of long use, intact. Provenance: Ex Collection Rainer Linnhoff, Munich.
439
Face mask De. Liberia. H 22cm. With slit eyes, open mouth, small ears typical of the Bassa and an iron hook above the forehead. Illustrated in: K.-F. Schaedler, Afrikanische Kunst. Von der Frühzeit bis heute (1997) Fig.2. The De are a small subgroup of the Bassa and inhabit the northern region of Monrovia. Bassa and De are culturally influenced by their surrounding neighbors, i.e. the Kpelle, Gola, Vai and Mende in the northwest and the Kru, Kran, Grebo and Dan in the east. In addition, De and Bassa are united in the same cultural women's association, the Bundu or Sande society, which is reflected in their masks (figurines are very rare) including face and helmet masks. While the helmet masks bear striking similarities to those of the Mende, the face masks have long been mistaken for those of the Dan. Traces of long use, intact. Provenance: Ex Collection Rainer Linnhoff, Munich.
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