Holo - DR Congo
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€ 1
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 380 - € 430
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Wooden Holo mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of the Holo culture, 60 cm high, in good condition, provenance Medicus Mundi missionaries and the Argiles Collection, Barcelona.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
This Holo mask is an extraordinary simplification of a buffalo’s head. Buffaloes are believed to possess supernatural powers due to their ability to vanish and reappear at will. In hunting tales, it is said that the animal returns to the spot where it was wounded, but takes a detour; it then hides and surprises the hunter from behind. In this respect, the buffalo resembles the sorcerer.
According to J. Cornet, ‘among the Holo masks are the most eminent masterpieces of the genre, particularly a type of mask also found among the Yaka: those depicting the heads of animals, particularly buffalo and antelope’. These masks are used, essentially, for the dances that follow circumcision, in the Kwango-Kwilu region. Holo art is little known, having been discovered relatively recently, yet it is of a high quality.
Provenance: Medicus Mundi missionaires
Argiles Collection, Barcelona
This Holo mask is an extraordinary simplification of a buffalo’s head. Buffaloes are believed to possess supernatural powers due to their ability to vanish and reappear at will. In hunting tales, it is said that the animal returns to the spot where it was wounded, but takes a detour; it then hides and surprises the hunter from behind. In this respect, the buffalo resembles the sorcerer.
According to J. Cornet, ‘among the Holo masks are the most eminent masterpieces of the genre, particularly a type of mask also found among the Yaka: those depicting the heads of animals, particularly buffalo and antelope’. These masks are used, essentially, for the dances that follow circumcision, in the Kwango-Kwilu region. Holo art is little known, having been discovered relatively recently, yet it is of a high quality.
Provenance: Medicus Mundi missionaires
Argiles Collection, Barcelona
Details
Number of objects
1
Ethnic group/ culture
Holo
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Material
Wood
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Height
60 cm
