Mask

CultureKwele

Dateearly 20th century

MediumWood and pigment

DimensionsOverall: 26 3/4 × 7 5/8 × 4 1/2 inches (67.95 × 19.37 × 11.43 cm)

Credit LineGift of Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, 2025

Object number2025.56.10

On View

Not on view

Terms

DescriptionThis Kwele mask, with its strong geometric lines and bold coloration, is a fine early example of an antelope mask. It features two lengthy horns, pointed ears, almond-shaped eyes, a white kaolin painted face, and a flat snout.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Culture Exchange: The Unspoken Truth, Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, NM, May-July, 2016.

Provenance

With Carlebach Gallery, Inc., New York, by 1962;

Purchased from Carlebach Gallery, Inc. by Ralph T. Coe (1929-2010), Santa Fe, NM, 1962-2010 [1];

His bequest to the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, NM, 2010-2025;

The Coe Center's gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2025.

NOTES:

[1] According to object documentation provided by the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts at the time of the object's gift, Nelson-Atkins curatorial files.

Published References

Warren M. Robbins and Nancy Ingram Nooter, African Art in American Collections (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press), 347, #897, (repro.).

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.