Lega Ceramic Passport Mask, Based

Chalky patches and a pinched nose give this face a quietly startled look.

This wood and kaolin passport mask is Lega, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Kaolin is a white clay used in many parts of Africa for ritual and body decoration, and it is often applied to masks to give a pale surface. Visually, the oval form is smooth and tan brown, with powdery pale pigment clinging around the round eye holes and the narrow nose. A small mouth opening sits low in the chin. The pigment is worn and uneven. A black metal stand supports it. It is 3.5 inches wide, 1 deep and 8.75 high.

Wide eyed, softly worn and in no hurry.