VINTAGE AFRICAN OIL PAINTING LUBA CHOKWE CONGO MASK RARE BLACK ARTIST AMAZING!

Description

VERY RARE AFRICAN
Luba or
Chokwe
Mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo
MASK LARGE OIL PAINTING. PAINTED IN THE LATE 70'S IN A NYC ART STUDIO. THIS LARGE PAINTING MEASURES 47" IN HEIGHT AND 31 1/2" IN WIDHT
In the early 20th Century, artists like Pablo Picasso and Andre Derain were inspired by the bold abstract designs that they discovered in African tribal masks. They collected and used these works of art to influence their own styles of Cubism and Fauvism. In effect, they used African culture to refresh the tired tradition of figure painting in Western Art.
As a result, we now tend to admire the bold design and abstract patterns of African masks through European eyes. We appreciate them as exhibits on museum walls, cut off from their traditional meaning and magical power. However, this is not how they were designed to be viewed.
The Luba, Chokwe or Baluba people are an ethno-linguistic group indigenous to the south-central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The majority of them live in this country, residing mainly in its Katanga, Kasai and Maniema. The Baluba Tribe consist of many sub-groups or clans who speak various dialects of Luba and other languages, such as Swahili.
The Baluba developed a society and culture by about the 400s CE, later developing a well-organised community in the UIpemba Depression known as the Baluba in Katanga confederation. Luba society consisted of miners, smiths, woodworkers, potters, crafters, and people of various other professions. Their success and wealth grew greatly over time, but this also caused their gradual decline to marauding bands of slavers, robbers, and terrorist
from among Portuguese and Omani
led or influenced invasions
.