Headdress/mask
early 20th century
Bush cows, or dwarf forest buffalos, are notoriously volatile creatures. Here, their massive forehead and horns are simulated by a streamlined flat arc. Such masks were worn with bristling raffia costumes that reinforced their wild character. The last photographs of them in use in the 1950s and 1970s offer fleeting records of their performances.
Wood
14 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (37.5 x 24.1 x 11.4 cm)
Gift of Mark Groudine and Cynthia Putnam
2010.44.1
Provenance: Arman Collection; [Loudmer-Poulain-Cornette de Saint Cyr, "Arts Primitifs_Collection Arman," December 18, 1972, Paris, lot 54, illus.]
