- 159
Senufo Helmet Mask with Female Figure, Ivory Coast
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- wood
- Height: 13 1/4 inches (33.7 cm)
Provenance
Reportedly collected in situ circa 1959-66
Franco Monti, Milan
Jaoquin Pecci, Brussels
S. Thomas Alexander III and Laura Rogers, St. Louis, acquired from the above in 2009
Franco Monti, Milan
Jaoquin Pecci, Brussels
S. Thomas Alexander III and Laura Rogers, St. Louis, acquired from the above in 2009
Condition
Old losses to the lower arms and proper left leg of the figure. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, chips, cracks, and repaired breaks throughout including: element to proper left of figure's proper left thigh is broken and reattached. Repaired break through body of figure. Surface is rough and covered with resin from previous attachments now lacking. Interior coated with glossy substance.
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
The present cap mask bears rich symbols of Senufo initiation societies for use within the kinetic masquerades that reinforced the power and authority of these institutions. The sculptor has incorporated both the form of a seated female figure as well as the curving horns of a buffalo; discussing a related figural mask, Glaze (1993: 16) notes that the "female dance cap may have been used as a champion cultivator dance cap [...] the iconographic theme of the female figure points equally well to a second possible context of meaning and purpose: a poro society mask in recognition of the special powers of women and particularly their priestly role as diviners." Glaze (ibid.: 17) also notes that buffalo horns are the "principle insignia of the elite nookaariga society of healers."