Mask
Possibly Kota (Mahongwe subgroup); possibly Nkare; possibly Mboko
1 of 5
Object Label
Virtually nothing is known about this mask’s use—not even which of the ethnic groups in the region might have made it. Its geometric abstraction has made it an icon of African art for Western audiences, who have linked its planar volumes with the radical forms of early European modernism, particularly Cubism.
Caption
Possibly Kota (Mahongwe subgroup); possibly Nkare; possibly Mboko. Mask, late 19th century. Wood, pigment, 14 x 6 x 9 in. (35.6 x 15.2 x 22.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 52.160. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Mask
Date
late 19th century
Geography
Place made: Republic of the Congo
Medium
Wood, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
14 x 6 x 9 in. (35.6 x 15.2 x 22.9 cm)
Credit Line
Frank L. Babbott Fund
Accession Number
52.160
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at