Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity
Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask - Art for Eternity

Songye Wood Carved Plank Mask

16308

$2,450.00
/
Shipping calculated at checkout.
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A powerful Songye Kifwebe plank mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, carved from a single block of light wood in an elongated, waisted rectangular plank form, the curvilinear oval facial plane rising organically from the flat backing panel. The face is articulated with large round pierced slit eyes for the wearer's vision, a prominent triangular nose that continues vertically upward into a pronounced central sagittal crest, and a projecting rectangular set mouth below, all hallmarks of the "male" kifwebe type, whose crest height signals the supernatural power of the wearer. The surface is entirely covered with finely incised parallel striations picked out in white kaolin, black, and warm brown pigments, creating the characteristic vibratory optical effect associated with the Bwadi bwa Kifwebe society, a regulatory masculine association charged with maintaining social order, performing at initiations, funerals, and public ceremonies. The interior is deeply adzed,  

size: 15-1/2 inches (39.4cm) H. Very good condition. 

Very good condition

Provenance: Barsky, Sutton Place NYC acq 1990s.

 

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

Free insured shipping within the United States on most pieces; oversized works are quoted at checkout. We pack and ship ourselves, usually within two business days. International shipping by USPS or DHL is calculated at checkout; if your country is not listed, write to us. Customs forms state the full value; international buyers are responsible for duties and taxes.

Any object may be returned within 14 days of receipt for a refund or credit. Contact us first. See Buying from Us.

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