This is a mask I have sold only a couple of times before; Tetela masks are quite hard to come by and I have been asking my supplier to source me some for quite a while. The Tetela are a tribal group from eastern DRC, related to the Kusu. Artistically it seems to me their masks are influenced by Songye styles. This one is typical Tetela with the triple forward-curving horns and the varied carving all over the mask, including circles, vertical and angled lines, chevrons and rectangles. There is cross-hatched carving in the lower part of the mask. It is a substantial mask, almost all in plain wood with the dust infilling the indented carving for contrast. It has large coffee bean eyes, a wedge-shaped nose and a stylised rectangular, protruding mouth. One thing to note is the scratching, particularly on the forehead: this is not wear but a process the dancer goes through in preparation for the ceremonial dance. It is quite common to see rubbed or scratched masks coming out of Central Africa, particularly DRC and Gabon.

This one has a good deal of age to it, a minimum of 20 years in my opinion, as can be inferred from the wear on the surface in places but it is a very solid, impressive piece.

Height: 45cm

Width: 22cm

Depth: 16cm

Weight: 1.6kg

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