Mask Of The Tchokxe People, Angola

Mask with a very expressive face. The deep eyes are almond-shaped and the eyebrows are marked by a double row of small dots meeting at the top of the nasal bridge. A straight and long nose descends to a half-open arc-shaped mouth revealing pointed teeth. The face is decorated with scarifications on the cheeks, under the eyes and it wears the traditional cross on the forehead. This mask with a sustained expression is a very beautiful ancient testimony to Tchokwe art.
Tchokwe people, Angola.
Wood with black and brown patina. Beautiful traces of use.
Height 19 cm 
Late 19th or early 20th century.
Provenance: -Ex Norbert Boutet collection
                     -Lombrail & Teucquam sale, La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire — March 7, 2021 (lot 85) Sold with its base