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Description
ADOUMA
Mbudi mask (a variant of the mvudi mask).
20th century.
Height: 21 cm.
Light wood, with a crusty patina alternating in a chequerboard pattern between the red of padouk powder and the white of kaolin. The face is rectangular, divided into four areas painted alternately in white and red. The alternation of white, symbolising the invisible world, peace and wisdom, and red, symbolising the breath of life, fire, power and blood, forms a two-tiered mosaic, complemented by the black of the eyebrows—a colour symbolising the materiality of earthly life—and visually conveys the interpenetration between the forces of life, the invisible world and the visible world.
The nose is represented by a vertical ridge forming a ‘T’ as it joins the horizontally arranged brow ridges. The eyes are reduced to thin slits, reinforcing the mask’s mysterious and inscrutable appearance.
Provenance:
Pierre Redouin Collection.
Bibliography:
Published in *Le Souffle des Esprits*, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Pierre & Hadrien Redouin, 2012, p. 4.
Description:
The Aduma mbudi mask is characterised by a minimalist and highly geometric style. The mbudi mask is used in various contexts of community life. It appears at the funerals of important figures to accompany the souls of the deceased. It also serves a judicial function and was brought out to ease tensions within the village, resolve conflicts or intimidate those who failed to respect customary laws. Finally, it played an educational role for young men, imparting moral values and the secrets of the clan’s history.
See original version (French)
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About the sale
The Breath of the Spirits: The Collection of Pierre Redouin and Others
Auction location
Auction time
09/24/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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