Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Taupou, post: 159707, member: 45&quot;]I probably wouldn&#039;t call the item in the post 9 link a &quot;mask.&quot;&nbsp; It&#039;s more a decorative wall hanging, based on a Senufo Kpelie mask.&nbsp; It does resemble a Kpelie mask, with the elongated nose, and the protrusions on the sides, but that&#039;s about it.&nbsp; Kpelie masks are carved from wood, and usually have a smaller, more delicate, form.&nbsp; They do, after all, represent ancestral feminine beauty.</p><p><br /></p><p>But yes, I&#039;d agree, it&#039;s a recent, decorative, art object, based on the actual style of a Senufo Kpelie mask.</p><p><br /></p><p>(Just as an aside, a <i>Kpelie </i>mask should not be confused with a <i>Kpelle </i>mask.&nbsp; <i>Kpelle </i>is a tribe in Liberia, <i>Kpelie </i>is the name of the mask made by the Senufo tribe of Ivory Coast.)</p><p><br /></p><p>I wouldn&#039;t say to stay away from African masks, necessarily.&nbsp; The good ones are a continuing cultural art form that has had influence on art world-wide.&nbsp; I&#039;d just say to avoid the mass-produced &quot;fantasy&quot; knock-offs that have no connection with a traditional, actual cultural mask.&nbsp; And the chances of finding a mask that sells for thousands and up, is about the same as finding an original Picasso.&nbsp; It does happen, but the odds aren&#039;t good.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>If buying for personal use, buy what you love and want to have around.&nbsp; If buying for resale, first buy a couple good books on African masks, so you learn to recognize what&#039;s authentic (not necessarily old or danced, but at least related to a specific culture and tradition) and then buy at a price where you can afford to keep the mask if it doesn&#039;t sell.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in