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Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ethnographical / YU PORTRAIT MASK - Lot 82
YU PORTRAIT MASK Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Yaouré ethnic group 20th century Wood with an aged patina; monochromatic black paint on the eyebrows, hair, horns, and beard. Repair to the right horn and old filling on the back edge. H. 18.5 cm - 13 cm Provenance: - Jane Stanton Hitchcock (1946–2025), New York, American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. - Doyle Auction, New York, Jane Stanton Hitchcock Collection, January 21, 2026, lot 86 A rare and antique mask of very small dimensions depicting a serene human face with half-closed eyes. In addition to the refinement of the carving on this antique mask and its small size, several interesting details are worth noting. First, the mouth is neither defined nor elaborately carved—it is simply suggested by a small, protruding pinch or the characteristic pout of a person about to whistle, without the lips being depicted. According to some experts, this is the oldest way of depicting these masks; the “whistling” mouth was not sculpted until after the arrival of the colonists, who created a growing demand for better definition and finish in the masks. Second, it is worth noting that this mask features hair pulled high on the forehead, held in place in three sections forming semicircles, which symbolizes power and wealth. Also worth noting is the small size of the horns and, above all, their downward-pointing position on either side of the face—a feature that is relatively uncommon in the cataloged collection. A combination of human and animal—rather than a transformation—this type of portrait mask evokes the Yu or Je spirits, intermediaries between supernatural forces and humans who intercede to resolve sociopolitical problems and enhance prosperity, and also participating in the funeral rites for young men who have died, particularly those who died before becoming fathers. Jane Johnston Hitchcock (née Crowley) (1946–2025), daughter of surgeon Robert Crowley and actress Louise Abrass Crowley, grew up in the the heart of a privileged world at 10 Gracie Square in Manhattan, where Leonard Bernstein played the piano at her parents’ festive gatherings and Neil Simon wrote her a short screenplay for her 21st birthday. An avid poker player but above all a talented novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, Jane Johnston Hitchcock received the “Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence” in 2019.
Estimate:£3,436.64
To the auctionView all items fromGiquelloorEthnographical
Estimate:
£3,436.64
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