Yoruba — Nigeria
1966 or earlier
Wood and pigment
Length: 14½ in (36.8 cm)
Provenance: Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, December 3, 1966, lot 46; Marchelle and Richard F. Badalucco, New York; private collection, New York
This Gelede mask is carved with a projecting face, broad coiffure, incised cheek and hair details, and a strongly arched profile that extends the head backward into a dramatic elongated form. Gelede masquerade performances honor female spiritual power and the social influence of mothers and elder women within Yoruba society, and the bold coiffure and expressive facial structure of this example are well-suited to that performative context. The surface shows warm handling and darkened areas consistent with age and use.
The mask was sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, on December 3, 1966, as lot 46 — a documented auction provenance that places the piece in a known New York collecting context at an early date.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Yoruba — Nigeria
1966 or earlier
Wood and pigment
Length: 14½ in (36.8 cm)
Provenance: Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, December 3, 1966, lot 46; Marchelle and Richard F. Badalucco, New York; private collection, New York
This Gelede mask is carved with a projecting face, broad coiffure, incised cheek and hair details, and a strongly arched profile that extends the head backward into a dramatic elongated form. Gelede masquerade performances honor female spiritual power and the social influence of mothers and elder women within Yoruba society, and the bold coiffure and expressive facial structure of this example are well-suited to that performative context. The surface shows warm handling and darkened areas consistent with age and use.
The mask was sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, on December 3, 1966, as lot 46 — a documented auction provenance that places the piece in a known New York collecting context at an early date.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
