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THBEarly 20th C. African Chokwe Mwana Pwo Wood Mask
Lot 91
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$800 - $1,200
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Mar 18, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-03-18 10:00:00
2021-03-18 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Pre-Columbian | Tribal | Oceanic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/pre-columbian-tribal-oceanic-6520
Featuring Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, much more. All items have been legally acquired and are legal to sell. Convenient in-house shipping. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, much more. All items have been legally acquired and are legal to sell. Convenient in-house shipping. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (323)
- Lot Description
Central Africa, Angola, Zambia, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chokwe peoples, ca. 1920s CE. A fine example of a hand-carved wooden face mask known as a Mwana Pwo with stylized physiognomy and a coiffure formed from woven raffia strands over a burlap-like textile. The intricate visage presents with bulging ovoid eyes that are slit at the midline and surrounded by bas relief brows, a naturalistic protruding nose with openwork nostrils, cup-shaped ears with conical protuberances before each one, an open mouth presenting upper and lower sharp teeth, beautiful incised scarification marks adorning the forehead and cheeks, and a dramatically narrow neck that is finely carved with multiple rings. Finally, perforations lining the visage were probably intended for further ornamentation or securing to a costume, and at the lower end of the neck, a metal ring is attached via a perforation. A mesmerizing example! Size: 7.375" L x 7.375" W x 15.5" H (18.7 cm x 18.7 cm x 39.4 cm)
This mask may symbolize the figure of Mwana Pwo, an archetypal female ancestor, socially significant particularly because the Chokwe trace their ancestry through their maternal lines. The scars on the face are an indicator of beauty as well as ethnic identity. Masks from this culture are often used at initiation rites to welcome people into the adult world.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2003.288a, b
Provenance: private Englewood, Colorado USA collection; ex-Martin Boxer collection; ex-Komer Gallery, New York City, New York USA circa 1965
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.
#160621Expected surface wear to the visage with minor scuffs here and there. Some pigment loss to lower end of neck as shown. Raffia/textile coiffure has a few losses and abrasions, but is otherwise very good.Condition
- Shipping Info
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