Passport mask - Metoko - DR Congo

Metoko mask – Democratic Republic of the Congo

Metoko masks are among the most desired and sought-after in the DRC's sculptural corpus, both for their visual power and for their formal radicality. This one is a perfect illustration. The forehead, intentionally bulging, treated as a solid, dominant mass, immediately asserts the mask's presence and draws the eye. The tubular eyes, deeply hollowed, convey an expression that is at once distant and piercing, heightening the supernatural character of the whole.

The mouth, deliberately abstracted and reduced to a synthetic form, participates in this controlled aesthetics where every element is designed for visual and symbolic impact rather than naturalism. The delicate chisel work on the face and on the hairstyle testifies to a high level of technical mastery, with steady, precise, and rhythmic workmanship, revealing the experience of a sculptor fully anchored in his stylistic vocabulary.

These masks were used in a ritual and communal context, intervening during ceremonies where they played an active role in social regulation, the transmission of values, and mediation between the visible world and unseen forces. The deep, uniform patina attests to real and prolonged use, reinforcing the authenticity and symbolic charge of the object.

A mask with a strong formal language, almost sculptural in the modern sense of the term, which seduces as much by its aesthetic radicality as by its ritual rooting, and which fully embodies what collectors seek in ancient African art.

Introduction to our expertise firm

Based in Belgium, our appraisal and sales house specializes in African and ethnographic art. A leading seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a track record of several hundred sales with a customer satisfaction rate close to 100%.

We regularly assist with liquidations, estates, and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is designed to be rigorous, transparent and accessible, with sales often offered without a reserve price.

Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.

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