It was a gift to my father in law about 60 years ago as a gift and we’ve had it ever since
Hello, this item is a hand-carved wooden mask likely originating from West or Central Africa, created around the mid-20th century. The mask is carved from a dense hardwood and finished with a dark patina, displaying stylized facial features and inset animal teeth or tusk-like elements, suggesting its use in ritual or ceremonial contexts. The back shows natural wear and fiber marks consistent with age and prolonged handling, supporting its authenticity as an ethnographic object rather than a contemporary tourist piece.
Masks of this type were typically used in initiation, harvest, or ancestral ceremonies, often representing protective spirits or animal totems. The overall craftsmanship and patina indicate traditional tools and techniques, suggesting it may come from regions such as the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, or the Congo basin. Comparable mid-century African ritual masks with similar construction and condition are valued between 400 and 800 USD in the current ethnographic art market.