BAGA MASK - Lot 187

Lot n° 187
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Estimation :
5000 - 7000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 6 470EUR
BAGA MASK - Lot 187
BAGA MASK Guinea Polychrome wood and metal Height: 105 cm Bearing the name Banda, these complex masks are specific to the Baga and Nalu populations of Guinea, among whom they were part of the Simo male society. The Banda mask would have been associated with a dangerous but protective entity that appeared in times of crisis, but was also used in various rituals linked to rites of passage (initiations, weddings, funerals) or agricultural rites. The structure combines various complex anthropo-zoomorphic elements, and the jaws are traditionally armed with metal bands depicting strong teeth. Small visible accidents due to use and time. The influence of Baga objects on artists of the early 20th century is well established, as evidenced by those belonging to Matisse, Picasso and Lhote, among others. For further information on Baga art and culture, see: F. Lamp: Catalogue of the exhibition "Art of the Baga: A Drama of Cultural Reinvention" - The Museum for African Art & Prestel, Washington 1996 Provenance: Received as a gift from a Guinean dignitary circa 1896 by Médecin Inspecteur Général Alexandre Lasnet. Sent in 1894/1895 to combat a smallpox epidemic at the Sédhiou post in Casamance (Senegal), he was transferred in 1896 to Guinea as part of a mission to the famous Almamy Samory Touré, founder of the short-lived Wassoulou empire, which extended over parts of Mali and Guinea. In his account of his career, he states that it "always seemed to him that Samory had, in view of the care I had given to some of the chiefs in his entourage, shown me great satisfaction". Kept in the family to this day.
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