Bwa Mask, Burkina Faso

Emil Storrer, Zurich, collected in situ in the 1950s
René Rasmussen, Paris, presumably acquired from the above
Ralph Nash, London, acquired from the above
Alexander Martin, London, acquired from the above
Harry Franklin, Los Angeles, acquired from the above
Edwin and Cherie Silver, Los Angeles, acquired from the above on March 17, 1975

Alexander Martin, London, Fine African Sculpture, May 25 - July 2, 1971

Hans Himmelheber, Negerkunst und Negerkünstler, Braunschweig, 1960, unpaginated, col. pl. III (in situ photograph by Emil Storrer)
Alexander Martin, Fine African Sculpture, London, 1971, unpaginated, pl. 5
Christopher D. Roy, Art of the Upper Volta Rivers, Meudon, 1987, p. 275, cat. no. 234

Good condition overall. Native repairs with strips of iron to the top of the rectangular plank and the crest and to the bottom of the face. Some losses throughout to the crusty pigment, which have been stabilized. Broken and repaired section to the proper left side of the top of the crest. Stable cracks throughout, including to the proper left side of the mouth and inside of the mouth, as visible in the catalogue illustration. Old loss and some cracks to the reverse of the face and the plank.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Christopher Roy (letter to Edwin and Cherie Silver, January 12, 1985), the present mask originates from the villages of Boni or Dossi, which are located in present-day Burkina Faso. In his discussion of this type, Roy notes: "The most impressive Bwa masks are the great plank masks, named nwantantay in Boni and Dossi. These are carved on two basic patterns: the majority of plank masks consist of a large oval facial area with a protuberant round mouth through which the performer can see.  [...] above are two great target eyes. The face is connected to the plank by a diamond or lozenge form from which protrudes a downward-curving and very prominent hook" (Roy, Art of the Upper Volta Rivers, 1987, p. 274).

Elsewhere Roy notes, when describing a similar mask: "The downward curving hook represents the beak of a hornbill, a bird associated with witchcraft and divination, a messenger of the dead" (ibid., p. 240, caption to cat. 199). He continues: "The plank is a large, vertical rectangle marked with geometric patterns in black and white, and sometimes red. This is, in turn, surmounted by a large crescent with the opening turned up" (ibid., p. 276).

Wheelock adds that plank masks such as the present example "are the major artistic expression of the southern Bwa. The masks are signboards or tablets on which the graphic patterns communicate the ethical and moral values of the community. [...] The black and white checkerboard [...] represents the value of lifelong learning" (Wheelock, Land of the Flying Masks, 2007, p. 410, text to pl. 140).