Mask

19th - early 20th century (before 1914)

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Alfred Stieglitz sent his friend and colleague Marius de Zayas to Paris to build relationships with dealers on his behalf. When war disrupted the art trade in Europe, one dealer, Paul Guillaume, agreed to provide De Zayas with fifteen African sculptures for an exhibition at 291. Six of them are featured in this section of the exhibition, among them this strikingly stylized mask. In its original context, it could have been intended for use by male masqueraders embodying diverse spirits. In 1924, in a demonstration of the aesthetic ideas projected on African art at the time, it was described in France as being "Cubist" in manner.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Mask
Date: 19th - early 20th century (before 1914)
Geography: Côte d’Ivoire
Culture: We peoples
Medium: Wood, hair
Dimensions: H.: 9 7/16 in. (24 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Musée Dapper, Paris
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing