Ntomo Bambara comb mask, Mali Wood with black... Lot 173

Ntomo Bambara comb mask, Mali Wood with black glazed patina H. 50 cm Bambara five-branch comb mask with a face inscribed under the high skullcap forehead, the eyes in sober circular piercings on either side of the nasal wall. The half-open mouth suggests control of speech, one of the main teachings of the Ntomo male initiation society, of which this mask is a powerful symbol. A very fine, old, deep-gloss patina, due to customary use, on this fine example of the corpus. Expert : Emmanuelle MENUET