Keeping Order Handcrafted Congo Zaire Wood Mask

This highly stylized mask represents a personage who wears a turban. Richly adorned with aluminum repoussé, its colors are red and black. 'This mask is worn by the selected few in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its purpose is for maintaining order in the community,' artisan Robert Nortey explains. 'These masks are meant for use on ritual or political occasions to arbitrate conflicts and punish wrongdoers.'

• materials: Sese wood and aluminum

18 in. H x 6.75 in. W x 3.2 in. D