vintage item::

A vintage, early 20th century, Tanzanian African mask with an unusual animal motif. Actually, the mask appears to be half animal and half human with bat like ears. The mask is 8.5 inches tall and 5.7 inches in depth. It could be that the red paint at the lips was added later as its patina does not really fit with the overall feel and look of the mask. There is damage to one ear and at lower edge.

This mask was a part of a collection of a Swiss diplomat that was amassed over a 40 year period in the region in and around Tanzania. The masks were all actually used for tribal or ceremonial purposes and acquired directly from tribal members. The dates of the masks are between the 1920s and 1940s. The collection was moved to Switzerland in the 1970s at the end of the diplomat's tenure.

height ::

8.5 in

(21.6 cm)

depth ::

5.75 in

(14.6 cm)

condition ::

good condition

 

quantity ::

1

 

shipping ::

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price ::

$590.00