Brought to Paris by a Kwele man who served as a diplomat from Gabon beginning in the 1960’s, this 25.5 inch “Zok” elephant mask is of the same type as the widely published example in the Michael Rockefeller collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The offered piece entered the Yale Archives of African Art, number 0128678, with the obvious comparison duly noted. Many agree that it is the better example of the two with its distinct black and white patterning and graceful curvature of line. In any case, its quality and age are clear. Here is a top level piece especially suited for major museum acquisition should that be its ultimate destiny.
|