Extremely rare mask from the Lulua people, settled along the Lulua River valley in south central Kasai-Occidental province in D. R. Congo. Cirka 30-40 masks in this early style of Lulua masks are known. Only about 10 of them still have the original braided and two colored striped fiber collar. The mask is acquired in situ between september 1898 - mars 1900 and that is a very early collection date. The mask and collar is in a very good original condition. Some interesting details on this mask is the unusually high carved vertical ridge between the forehead and the crown, the black and red colored eye sockets and very nice square shaped attachment holes ( which can be seen on a few other old Lulua masks ). The romb carved, wood colored, eyes over the open eye holes in the mask is a characteristic detail or style of a small group of very old Lulua masks.

H. Wooden mask 30 cm

Provenance:

Knut Stålhandske 6/5 1872 - 7/10 1952, In Free Congo State 1898-1900. In Inheritance, to the daughter: Birgitta Lundqvist (born Stålhandske), 1920-2010. And after 2010 in inheritance to her daughter Margareta Winter ( born 1952) and her siblings. The family sold the mask in april 2025. Karlsson & Wickman Gallery acquired the mask in april 2025.

After coming back to Sweden in the year 1900, Stålhandske donated a collection of Items to the Swedish Ethnographic Museum and to an School institution on Gotland, now in Gotlands Museum.

Price on request