Senufo / Funeral Mask Start Price USD 5,950.00 Current Price USD 5,950.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, July 13, 2008 End Time Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Location Miami, Florida See more about 'Senufo / Funeral Mask' Description SquareTrade © AP6.0                        Be sure to add me to your favorites list!                Check out my other items! The Head of the Poro / Poro-Secret-SocietyMr. George Preston collected this mask in 1970 in the hamlet of Atyol in Cote D’Ivoire, near the Ghanaian border, in the Nafana region. ( Papers on hand. )The Nafana are related to the Senufo, but are Muslims, and do not use animistic artifacts. The description given by the Nafana at the time of the use of this mask was probably misunderstood, as this type of mask is used for funeral purposes by the blacksmiths of the Poro secret society of the Senufo people further west, as well as by the Nafara, an isolated Senufo group  south of the Nafana.The most powerful mask of the Nafara is the Kagba mask, a mask with similar duties, to the mask on hand, which appears during important funerals, and performs the same duties then the The " Head of the Poro" .The horrifying ugliness, and violent characteristics of the mask on hand are meant to awe, and frighten. No attempt has been made to give the mask an appealing appearance, for it has been created to fulfill the important task of separating the spirit from the deceased’s body, lead the body to its grave, and the spirit to the village of the dead.This mask most likely escaped the destruction of Senufo artifacts in the 1950s, when a large number of Senufos converted to the MASA Cult, which demanded that all artifacts related to the Senufo’s animistic past be destroyed. Thanks to the intervention of a missionary, and a Swiss financier, and art enthusiast, a large number of pieces escaped the destruction by being shipped-off to Zurich, Switzerland. This wonderful, and important collection of Senufo artifacts is housed today at the Riedberg Museum in Zurich.The mask on hand was probable "saved " by the Nafana, who are Muslim , whose intent was to sell it to Westerners. The fiber material used for the collar of this mask is the same as that of a similar mask at the Riedberg museum. A feather-bush, which was attached in-between the small gazelle-horn is missing, and only a nail remains . The mask is otherwise in very good condition.Spectroscopic testing places this mask back to the  1950th.Please note:  Older pieces of African artifacts have imperfections due to time and wear. This fact generally does not distract from the value of the pieces. Although we carefully point out repairs and damages, be aware that not all of the smaller ships, and dents can be enumerated. Should you have any questions, please contact us before you decide to purchase an item. You full satisfaction is our highest priority .Guarantee: All of our carefully selected artifacts are genuine, authentic, and of exceptional quality. We make statements regarding age, and or provenance only if they can be substantiated. Accordingly we provide spectroscopic testing, performed by a leading international laboratory, to determine the age of selected valuable wooden artifacts. If our pieces should fail to meet with our customers approval, we will readily accept returns.Exceptional pieces of African (art) works are not distinguished solely by their age, but by the power of esthetic expression. Such artifacts are not easily found, and they are certainly not readily picked up in Africa and shipped abroad " by the container".Most exceptional pieces are part of established collections, and only become available as a consequence of death or other changing circumstances.We specialize in finding those pieces, and offer them to our customers at very competitive pricesThe mask is presented on a metal display stand. It is a large and heavy item. Please contact seller for shipping info . Place a Bid!