Igbo mask Nigeria - Lot 1

Igbo mask Nigeria Wood, natural pigments, kaolin Height : Provenance: Roland de Montaigu, New York Pierre Robin ---- Igbo Mask Nigeria Wood, natural pigments, kaolin Height: Provenance : Roland de Montaigu, New York Pierre Robin Roland de Montaigu, born in 1925, was a French collector active between Paris and New York. Works from his collection were acquired by institutions and private collectors. Among the most remarkable pieces are an impressive late nineteenth-century Kongo carved ivory trunk, now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts (inventory no. 2022.516.1), and a Yoruba divination tray (inventory no. 2013.42.23), housed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. The object we are presenting today was acquired by its current owners in 1982, directly from the private collection of Roland de Montaigu, at a meeting most probably organized on the occasion of the prestigious inauguration of the Michael C. Rockefeller wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The mask's fine craftsmanship is matched by its proven age, revealed by a patina that is crusty in places, revealing ochre shades under the kaolin that have been delicately polished by time. The striking contrast between the whiteness of the face and the black pigments highlighting the headdress, scarifications and facial features reinforces the expressionism and lends this Agbogho mmuo female mask an enigmatic intensity. The ornamental motifs are rich and varied, with checkerboard patterns on the forehead and temples, parallel linear scarification marks across the cheeks and circular motifs at the corners of the mouth. The angular face features puffy coffee-bean eyes, an aquiline nose and a mouth half-open to filed teeth. The three-lobed hairstyle is characterized by a certain naturalism, accentuated by the addition of human hair fixed with natural resin. Roland de Montaigu, born in 1925, was a French collector active between Paris and New York. Works from his collection have entered both institutional and private collections. Among the most notable pieces are an impressive Kongo carved ivory trumpet from the late nineteenth century, now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 2022.516.1), and a Yoruba divination tray (inv. no. 2013.42.23), housed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. The object presented here was acquired by its current owners in 1982, directly from Roland de Montaigu's private collection, most likely during a meeting arranged on the occasion of the prestigious inauguration of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exceptional craftsmanship of this mask is matched by its attested age, as revealed by a crusty patina in certain areas, where the kaolin has worn away to expose delicate ochre tones subtly burnished by time. The striking contrast between the white face and the black pigments accentuating the coiffure, scarification marks, and facial features heightens its expressive power and lends this female Agbogho Mmuo mask an enigmatic intensity. The ornamental vocabulary is both rich and varied: checkerboard patterns on the forehead and temples, parallel linear scarifications crossing the cheeks, and circular motifs at the corners of the mouth. The angular face displays bulging coffee-bean-shaped eyes, an aquiline nose, and a slightly open mouth revealing filed teeth. The trilobed coiffure is distinguished by a certain naturalism, enhanced by the addition of human hair affixed with a natural resin. On the right cheek, at the corner of the eye, a crack appears vertically down to the center of the cheek. Slight rubbing and wear throughout. Residual unctional patina, traces of kaolin remaining on the entire face. ---- On the right cheek at the angle of the eye a crack appears vertical, up to the center of the cheek. Slight friction and wear on the entire mask. Residual onychological patina, traces of kaolin remaining on the entire face.