Mossi Mask and Altar, Burkina Faso

the eyes inlaid with porcelain, and with straps of Domestic Goat (Capra hircus) hide.

Allan Stone, New York, acquired in the 1970s or 1980s

Good condition for an object of this age, type, material and function. Central element and figure are held on with leather and fiber binding applied when the mask was converted in situ, as seen in catalogue illustration. Marks, nicks, scratches, and abrasions consistent with age and use. Surface cavities on reverse. Age cracks. Thick crusty accumulation of ritual materials on lower element, with rope netting on reverse.
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.

Combining several mask-iconographies with the qualities of a power object, the Mossi "mask" from the Allan Stone Collection is not only a striking sculpture but also a par-excellence example of how objects were reappropriated multiple times over the course of their ritual life in situ. The general structure of the mask with the two vertical panels in V-position above an oval semisphere with avian mouth is known from Mossi masks of the karanga type. Cf. one in the Wheelock Collection, published in Roy (1987: 134, pl. 104). In contrast to a central panel with protruding bird's head, however, the Stone mask features a central female figure which was obviously attached after the mask had been carved and was thus not part of the original conception. There is no doubt that the attachment of the figure with string and leather straps occured in situ long before the mask was collected as the superstructure as a whole has signs of extensive ritual use. From this we can conclude that the mask which was created as karanga has later been converted into and served as a karen wemba mask for a significant period of time. Finally, the incrustation on the mask's bottom part, i.e. the part below the superstructure consisting of V-shape and figure which would have covered the performer's face during dance performances, attests to the masks later use as altar or power object. According to Chris Roy (personal communication, October 1, 2013), the "Mossi place masks on altars all the time, especially if its original owner has passed away."

The offered lot is one of the great examples of both Allan Stone's aesthetic vision and his preference of powerful spiritually charged objects with traces of a long ritual life in situ.