Mask - Ethnographic Art Object - Hand Carved Wood Mask - Material Culture

Description

Material Culture: Ethnographic Art Object - Hand Carved Wood Mask - tribal decorative mask made of hand-carved wood. This mask features a refined long triangular shape while two perforate holes serve as eyes, separated by a wide nose. The front showcases hand carved patterns. This mask was handcrafted locally and carved from a soft wood, enhancing its great lively aspect. This primitive antique hand carved wooden mask would have been purchased onsite in a remote location.
This stunning piece of art would add a presence in many rooms, especially a den or office where its austerity would perfectly match with a working atmosphere. Ethnographic art object. Provenance, condition and care were recently reviewed with a conservator for the purpose of long term preservation.
Era: Unknown
African masks are usually shaped after a human face or some animal's muzzle, albeit rendered in a sometimes highly abstract form. The inherent lack of realism in African masks (and African art in general) is justified by the fact that most African cultures clearly distinguish the essence of a subject from its looks, the former, rather than the latter, being the actual subject of artistic representation.
Traditional African masks are one of the elements of great African art that have most evidently influenced Europe and Western art in general; in the 20th century, artistic movements such as cubism, fauvism and expressionism have often taken inspiration from the vast and diverse heritage of African masks. Influences of this heritage can also be found in other traditions such as South- and Central American masked Carnival parades. As African masks are largely appreciated by Europeans, they are widely commercialized and sold in most tourist-oriented markets and shops in Africa (as well as "ethnic" shops in the Western World). As a consequence, the traditional art of mask-making has gradually ceased to be a privileged, status-related practice, and mass production of masks has become widespread. While, in most cases, commercial masks are (more or less faithful) reproductions of traditional masks, this connection is weakening over time, as the logic of mass-production makes it harder to identify the actual geographical and cultural origins
Condition: Excellent- wear consistent with age and use
Dimensions: 15" length, 6.5" width
Shipping and insurance cost included in sale price. This item is final sale and non-returnable. We recommend serious buyers visit our Gallery in Philadelphia to view all material culture prior to purchase.
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