Face mask with tubular eyes and articulated lower jaw · Liberia, Dan · ID: 3044003
R. K. Universiteit Nijmegen, Instituut voor Kulturele Antropologie, The Netherlands (2005) - Inventory Card No. 886 available
Michel Thieme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
G. Person, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dick Meijer, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2017)
Description
wood, plant fibre, seed capsules/nuts, aglet, lettered “886”, base
Comparable masks illustrated in Harley (Milwood 1975, repr.). The mask type is called “go ge”, “good spirit”, and was kept by the “gonola”, a high priest and “owner” of the land. He called together and presided over a high council of elders responsible for controlling the people.
The object Face mask with tubular eyes and articulated lower jaw with the object ID 3044003 was last part of the auction 89th Tribal Art Auction at July 7, 2018 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 135 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,000.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Harley, George W., Masks as agents of social control in Northeast Liberia, Milwood 1975 (repr.), Plate IV a-f, p. 11 ff.
Publications
AHDRC: 0153550