The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Face Mask

Face Mask

early 1900s
Wood, boar tusks, pelt, cloth, human hair, probably aluminum, reeds, iron alloy, copper alloy, plant fiber, and paint
Overall: 38.1 cm (15 in.)
Gift of Katherine C. White 1971.294
Location: 108A Sub-Saharan

Description

Tubular eyes and the fringe of carved leopard canine teeth identify this mask as male. Such masks appeared only during very important moments. The dancer wore a leopard skin over his head and shoulders, held an elephant's tusk in his hand, and had his face painted white. The masks function as peacemakers; they led soldiers into battle, and administered justice.
  • Harry Franklin, Los Angeles
    Harry Franklin, Los Angeles; Katherine White Reswick
  • Fagg, William. African Tribal Images; the Katherine White Reswick Collection. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968. Mentioned and reproduced: no. 60
    “New Acquisitions.” African Arts 5, no. 4 (Summer 1972): 77–78. Reproduced: P. 78 www.jstor.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art, and Henry John Drewal. African Art: A Brief Guide to the Collection: the Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland]: The Museum, 1989. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 6, fig. 8
    Petridis, Constantijn. South of the Sahara: Selected Works of African Art. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2003. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 58-59, no. 14
  • CMA 1973: "Year in Review 1972," CMA Bulletin LX (March, 1973), p. 107, no. 37
    CMA 1968: "African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection," cat. no. 60, repr.; also to University Museum, Philadelphia.
  • {{cite web|title=Face Mask|url=false|author=|year=early 1900s|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1971.294