Bassa Mask
An
old and expressive Gela Bassa mask.
Coming from my mothers collection Nadya Levi who bought it from Paolo Morigi in the 1970's.
Wood, haired skin, red cotton, white paint on cheek, protruding mouth with one bone teeth, semi closed eyes.
H= 22 cm without stand.
Price: 3,700 €
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The Bassa tribe lies in the middle of present day Liberia, West Africa.
Living in an agricultural society the Bassa masks are called Gela and used by members of the No society. Usually these mask are with a female and dancers have to move with elegant grace during the visit of foreign visitor's and during the boy's iniation rites.
This mask was collected during the Biafra war by Paolo Morigi a well known Swiss collector who sold it to my mother Nadya Levi in the 1970's.
This is a fine sample of a Bassa mask. It is quite easy to differentiate a Bassa mask from a Dan mask since the Bassa masks are usually convex when the Dan mask are concave with a high domed forehead.
This Bassa mask has a dark brown-black patina, but the red colored cotton gives it something joyful while the bone teeth enhances some fierce character.
West Africa Map | Bassa tribe map, coastal area
More Bassa mask images:
Price 3,700 €
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David
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