African Art at the
Ralph Proctor Gallery"In Cultural Perspective"
Ceremonial mask
- country: Tanzania
- people: Makonde
- medium: wood, paint
- size: 9x8x10 inches
- price: $850.
- inventory #: rpg0784
This is a Makonde masquerade mask. It represents an Arab slave trader. It was used in public rituals designed to teach the horrors of the slave trade and its impact on African society. All such Makonde helmet masks are carved from bombax trees that produce a wood that is very light in weight, similar to Balsa wood. This is a very rare, museum-quality piece.