Helmut Mask
Mende, Sierra Leone
Early 20th Century.
Previous Collection: William Siegmann (Former curator of African Art at the Brooklyn Museum)


The African art market has many Bundu masks readily available; this is not unknown to the public; but this example transcends the average Bundu by way of its age, quality and provenance. The face is superbly done; tightly carved in a an upside down triangular convention; with an enigmatic expression. The multi-part coiffure is complex and well executed. The fat roles on the neck are looked at as a sign of beauty among the Mende; important to note is that Bundu masks are used in a female society. The smokey deep patina has developed over decades of storage and use. Having been collected by William Siegmann a man who’s expertise in Liberia and its neighboring countries is among the top today adds so much to this object in terms of authenticity and aesthetic choice.

This mask stands 13” tall.

SOLD / 7-4-11