Striking Distortion Mask

Among the Makonde and Makua, masks are used to educate, celebrate and entertain. Deformity masks are intended to scare and excite the audience, a large proportion of which are typically children. This striking mask comes from the estate of the paintings dealer Allan Stone, New York. Stone was an eclectic buyer of good things. In African art he is best known for his devotion to Hemba and Songye figures and Bakongo nail fetishes. He also had a taste for powerful masks from West and East Africa that lacked a strong following. Growing up in New York City, I frequented both the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian, then at its original location in Upper Manhattan. Both institutions housed extraordinary distortion masks, from the West Coast as well as the so-called false face masks of the Iroquois. These were among the first ethnic, traditional works that I experienced and the ones which left the deepest impression. Ever since, I have had a love of masks which are deliberately asymmetrical. This is among my favorites.

9″ H

Inquire About This Item