Fine and Rare Warmask – Boa – D.R.C. In fairly good and bone-dry state. It dates back to the first quarter of the 20th century. On stand. Provenance; Ex – collection of Josef de Loose, Brussels. Obtained by him from an old colonial collection in Belgium. Acquired from him by H. Westerdijk around 1965. Pongdudu masks of the first generation are rare. It is therefore fair to assume that this still classic example belongs to the so-called second generation made after 1900.Yet, this piece is made according to the original lay –out whereby the large ears are attached to the frame’s sides by means of wooden pegs. Its ears are big but do not show the exaggerated huge ones that are seen in recent copies, tied to the frame by means of cords and the like or carved out of the mask itself. Likewise, the cane teeth set into the lower and upper parts of the mouth follow the traditional pattern and are not of wood. The mask still bears some faded black and white colouring and not the red found in modern examples. The mask has the original oval shape typical of the really old pieces. Literature: M.L. Felix: 100 peoples of Zaire and their sculpture, Brussels, 1987, pp.16-17, fig.1. Dimensions: 27 x 34 x 9 cm. People / Region: The Boa live in the northeast of the D.R.C. known as the Upper Congo Province. Material: light wood of the Alstonia congensis tree and cane. Weight: 0.460 kg. Sold with handwritten declaration of authenticity by Dr. P. Westerdijk, museum ethnologist and cultural anthropologist specialized, for over 50 years now, in the study of the material cultures in African nations that live south of the Sahara.