Monumental Songye Kifwebe Mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Allan Stone, New York

The Bruce Museum, Greenwich, Connecticut, Power Incarnate: Allan Stone's Collection of Sculpture from the Congo, May 14 - September 4, 2011

Kevin D. Dumouchelle, Power Incarnate: Allan Stone's Collection of Sculpture from the Congo, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2011, p. 48, cat. 25

Good condition for an object of this type and significant age. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, wear and small chips consistent with age and use. Some porous areas from insect damage with chipping to edges, including to fronts of eyes and mouth. Glued break to chin. Fine varied aged patina with black, red and white pigment.
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.

Of enormous proportions, the Allan Stone Songye mask is one of the oldest and most impressive masks known in the corpus of kifwebe masks. With a square mouth protruding beneath the slender nose leading to a tall crest bisecting the dramatically protruding eyes, it is adorned with straited bands in multilayered red, black, and white pigment. The iconography of kifwebe masks is highly symbolic and contains numerous references to Songye mythology and cosmology. The deep striations painted with various colors recall the metaphysical labyrinth the initiates have to stride during their initiation. SeeNeyt (2004: 361-363) for further discussion.

For a closely related mask of signifcantly smaller scale previously in the Silberman Collection see Sotheby's, New York, May 17, 2007, lot 151.