Auction 105

15 November 2025

– 240 –

D. R. CONGO, BAKWA

LUNTU / MBOLE

363  Anthropomorphe Maske

Holz, Pgimente, Brandzier, hand-

schriftl. beschriftet „1445“, altes

Sammlungsetikett „EAVI-8“

Diese seltene Maske mit bemerkens-

werter Provenienz wurde von Albert

Maesen dem Volk der Bakwa Luntu

zugeschrieben. Maesen betrieb zwi-

schen 1953 und 1955 intensive For-

schungen im Kongo und verfasste di-

verse Publikationen zu diesem Gebiet.

Die Maske wurde 1970 von Time Life

Inc. in dem Filmstreifen „The Sculp-

ture of Black Africa“ gezeigt.

Anthropomorphic mask

wood, pigments, pyro-engraved,

handwritten inscription „1445“, old

collection label „EAVI-8“

This rare mask with remarkable pro-

venance was attributed by Albert

Maesen to the Bakwa Luntu people.

Maesen conducted intensive research

in the Congo between 1953 and 1955

Provenance

Merton Simpson, New York, USA (in-

ventory no. „1445“)

Ernst (1914-2002) & Ruth Anspach,

New York, USA (label „EA VI-8“)

Mr. & Mrs. J. Werner Gillon, London,

England

Sotheby‘s, London, The Tara Collec-

tion, 15 July 1975, lot 72

Sotheby‘s, London, 21 June 1993,

lot 186

B. J. Orten, Frankfurt, Germany

Exhibited

Notre Dame, Indiana, USA: African

Sculpture from the Tara Collection,

Art Gallery, University of Notre Dame,

28 March - 23 May 1971; Shown in „The

Sculpture of Black Africa“, film strips

by Time-Life, Inc., 1970

AHDRC: 0033228

€ 3.000 - 5.000

Publ. in

Fagg, William, African Sculpture from

the Tara Collection, London 1971, p. 48,

VI-8 (not illustrated); Gillon, Werner,

Collecting African Art, London 1979,

p. 158, pl. XXIV right

and wrote various publications on

this area.

The mask was shown by Time Life Inc.

in 1970 in the film „The Sculpture of

Black Africa“.

H: 28 cm

Photo: Werner Forman