Kwele african mask
Kwélé - The Heart Mask in African Art
The very particular graphic design of the Kwele beete (pebood) masks is characterised by a face that always takes the form of a heart, placed in the centre of a composition that may vary. This specimen is a very pure example of this formal approach. Léon Siroto links these compact masks to a genre known as pebood, adding that the Kwele simply see them as beautiful objects [1]. 1] Looking at all the beete masks, it is clear that this aesthetic is the basis of the varied repertoire developed by Kwele sculptors.
Siroto 1970, p. 225. Alisa La Gamma, Arts of Africa and Oceania. Fleurons du musée Barbier-Mueller, Barbier-Mueller Museum & Hazan (ed.), 2007: p. 193
01710
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Circa 1980
- Size
- 28 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Condition
- Vintage
Kwélé - The Heart Mask in African Art
The very particular graphic design of the Kwele beete (pebood) masks is characterised by a face that always takes the form of a heart, placed in the centre of a composition that may vary. This specimen is a very pure example of this formal approach. Léon Siroto links these compact masks to a genre known as pebood, adding that the Kwele simply see them as beautiful objects [1]. 1] Looking at all the beete masks, it is clear that this aesthetic is the basis of the varied repertoire developed by Kwele sculptors.