Mask "matemu" · D. R. Congo, Holo · ID: 3032301
Eduard Hess, Basel, Switzerland
Description
wood, polychrome paint, broad face with slit eyes and accentuated chin, adorned with feather ornament and abundant grass fibre cuff, min. dam., traces of abrasion;
the Holo are a small ethnical group, living in the borderland between Zaire and Angola. In the course of their history they were exposed to various influences. The Pende crossed their realm, the Kongo introduced the sacred kaolin and their masquerades are adopted from the Yaka.
The object Mask “matemu” with the object ID 3032301 was last part of the auction 68th tribal art auction at March 3, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 214 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200.
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
Neyt, Francois, Die Kunst der Holo, München 1982, p. 134, ill. 108