Bobo Mask, Burkina Faso

Jay C. Leff, Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, April 22, 1967, lot 21, consigned by the above
Private Collection, New York, acquired at the above auction

Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Exotic Art from Ancient and Primitive Civilizations: Collection of Jay C. Leff, October 15, 1959 - January 3, 1960

Walter A. Fairservis, Exotic Art from Ancient and Primitive Civilizations: Collection of Jay C. Leff, Pittsburgh, 1959, no. 215

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Very minor marks, nicks, scratches, age cracks, and abrasions. The reverse with four eye hooks for attachment to base.
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.

Roy (1987: 323) notes: "It is very difficult to categorize the vast numbers of Bobo mask types, for even in a small village there are often twenty or more different masks, each with a name, a role to play, gestures, a dance, songs, and [an] entire character with virtues and vices." Masks of the bolo type were entertainment masks created and performed by Bobo smiths and "the imagination of the artist is free to create innovative forms" (ibid.: 329).