Nuna mask - Lot 44

Nuna mask Burkina Faso Wood H. 95 cm Provenance : - Ex Emmanuel Bordier collection - Private collection, France This mask with its impressive wingspan combines the features of several animal species. The very long, curved beak is the traditional attribute of the hornbill, which can also be identified by the raised triangle at the beginning of the beak. Here, however, the bird's appendage is embellished by two rows of sharp teeth along its entire length, most probably reminiscent of a crocodile. The bulbous eyes, surrounded by engraved star motifs, are reminiscent of a chameleon. At the top of the skull, a carved cylinder was once used to attach a feather headdress. The entire mask is covered with a thick crusty patina, the result of numerous ancient sacrificial libations. For a mask very close to the former Vérité collection, see : Enchères Rive Gauche, June 17, 2006, no. 47.