Additional information
| Ethnic Groups | |
|---|---|
| Regions | |
| Primary Materials |
Classic Mwera Mask
This is an older style of Makonde or Mwera mask from Lindi District, Tanzania. My estimate is that it dates to the 1930s or ’40s. It is more stylized than later masks and much less crude than the most recent generations of masks. Earlier masks are even more stylized. A similar, but substantially more rounded, mask collected in 1937 is published in Kurt Krieger’s Ostafrikanische Plastik (Abteilung Afrika), plate 424 (AHDRC 0086661-001). The treatment of the eyes and mouth are very similar in both, while the ears are quite different. However, the high, semicicular cup handle ears are a typical feature of Makonde masks this same region during the same time period. $850
10.5″
