Lwalwa mask, Democratic Republic of Congo, wood, pigment - Lot 44

Lot 44
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Estimation :
1400 - 1800 EUR
Lwalwa mask, Democratic Republic of Congo, wood, pigment - Lot 44
Lwalwa mask, Democratic Republic of Congo, wood, pigment H.34cmxW.18cm The Lwalwa pantheon is dominated by the Supreme Being Mvidie Mukulu and by Nzambi, the omnipresent original creator. Lwalwa art is famous for its powerful and particularly cubist masks, such as the superb example in the Tranin collection, with its elegant lines and perfect balance. According to Ceyssens (in MRAC 1995, p.327), the profile of the nose refers to the long beak of the hornbill bird, while the protuberances on the temples are typical ofjindula or kankolo body decorations. Looking at the straight line running from the forehead to the tip of the nose, we can imagine that Picasso borrowed the features for his portraits of Marie-Thérèse Walter. Although she herself had an aquiline nose, the incorporation of abstract lines borrowed from African motifs is indisputable (see Rubin in "Primitivisme", 1984, Vol 1, p.324).
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