- 91
Mende Ndoli Jowei Helmet Mask, Sierra Leone
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description
- wood
- Height: 16 inches (40.6 cm)
Provenance
Acquired in Bomi Hills, Liberia, in the 1970s
Charles D. Miller III, New York
Charles D. Miller III, New York
Condition
Very good condition for an object of this type and great age. General marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, and surface cracks consistent with age and use. Some minor age cracks around holes for attachment on bottom edge. Multiple sets of holes for attachment with old chipping and wear from use. Old chips to eyelids and edges of ears, patinated over. Proper right spherical top coiffure element probably broken and re-attached. Small droplets of glue inside mask, probably from a previous base. Small area of insect damage with a chip on reverse. Exceptionally fine crusty blackened patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
As Siegmann (in Sotheby's New York, May 16, 2008, lot 108) notes: "The Mende term ndoli jowei means 'expert in dance' and is the term used for the individual who performs with the principal mask of the women's society known as the sande. This type of mask is more frequently, and less accurately, known as a 'Sande' or 'Bundu' mask."
The Miller ndoli jowei helmet mask is a superb representative of the genre from the pre-WWII period. A closely related mask was photographed in 1935 by the German ethnographer Ralph Eberl-Elber. Eberl-Elber describes this mask in his 1936 monograph Westafrikas letztes Rätsel (West Africa's last mystery) with the words (cited after Gottschalk 1990: 36): "Nowi, a Sande mask. Mende, central Sierra Leone. The head shows the reproduction of a female hairstyle, from which small stylized pigtails project like a halo." For another mask by the same hand see Mato and Miller (1990: 32-33).
The Miller ndoli jowei helmet mask is a superb representative of the genre from the pre-WWII period. A closely related mask was photographed in 1935 by the German ethnographer Ralph Eberl-Elber. Eberl-Elber describes this mask in his 1936 monograph Westafrikas letztes Rätsel (West Africa's last mystery) with the words (cited after Gottschalk 1990: 36): "Nowi, a Sande mask. Mende, central Sierra Leone. The head shows the reproduction of a female hairstyle, from which small stylized pigtails project like a halo." For another mask by the same hand see Mato and Miller (1990: 32-33).