92 - Mask; Africa, 20th century.

Mask; Africa, 20th century. Wood. Measurements: 17 x 22 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. Mask possibly related to the ritual traditions of the Toma or Loma peoples of the border region between Guinea and Liberia. It may be linked to the Bakrogui type, associated with ceremonial practices and initiatory societies in West Africa. These masks play an important role in community rituals and in beliefs related to the spiritual world and ancestors.