Galerie Peter Herrmann


Ancient Art from Africa - Benin & Ife
Ife

Thermolumineszenz - Expertise:

Mask
Ife, Nigeria
14th century
Bronze
30 cm

Mask:


This somewhat younger, 650-year-old mask has much in common with the previous one. Some features - particularly the mouth and ears - are even more realistically rendered here than on the other mask, but this mask, like the other, is definitely an idealised head of a prominent person. Furthermore, the observation slits under the eyes clearly indicate that the mask was meant to be used. But although it is life-sized, the opening in its back is too small to fit a head, and thus it must have been intended to be held in front of the face.

Cp.:
Stefan EISENHOFER: Rätselhafte Meisterwerke. Die Kunst aus Ife, in: Ife, Akan und Benin. Westafrikanische Kunst aus 2000 Jahren, Pforzheim 2000, S. 20/ 21.
Frank WILLETT: Ife. Metropole afrikanischer Kunst, Bergisch Gladbach 1967, S. 33.
Ekpo EYO, Frank Willett: Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria, Mainz 1983, S. 99.



Similar objects:  

Illustration:

Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim (Ausstellung, 28. Mai bis 27. August 2000)
 

Ife, Akan und Benin. Westafrikanische Kunst aus 2000 Jahren, Pforzheim 2000, S. 51.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos
 

Tom Phillips (Hg.): Afrika. Die Kunst eines Kontinents. Prestel, 1996, S. 405.

Ife Museum für Ife-Altertümer  

Schätze aus Alt-Nigeria. Ministerium für Kultur, Berlin (Ost) 1985, S. 114.


 

Ekpo EYO, Frank Willett: Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria, Mainz 1983, S. 99.


 

Jacques KERCHACHE, Jean-Louis PAUDRAT, Lucien STEPHAN: Die Kunst des Schwarzen Afrika, Freiburg 1989, S. 165.


 

Frank WILLETT: Ife. Metropole afrikanischer Kunst, Bergisch Gladbach 1967, S. 33.

Slg. Francis Speed
 

Ekpo EYO, Frank Willett: Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria, Mainz 1983, S. 99.


 

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