African mask database
Individual mask records, each attributed and graded. Every record states how firm its attribution is and what is known of the object's history.
Browse by culture, country, form category or subject depicted.
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How to read the grades
Each record carries two independent grades. They are separate on purpose: a museum-published attribution can sit on an object with no documented history before 1970, and that combination is a true statement about the record rather than a contradiction.
| Attribution confidence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Field-documented | Attribution rests on documented field collection or recorded observation of the object in use. |
| Museum-published | Attribution follows a published museum catalogue or peer-reviewed scholarship. |
| Dealer attribution | Attribution originates with a dealer, gallery or auction house and has not been independently verified. |
| Uncertain | Attribution is not settled. This record is published as an open question, not as a finding. |
| Provenance status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pre-1970 documented | Documentation of this object predates the 1970 UNESCO Convention. |
| Museum accession | Object is held in a public collection under a published accession number. |
| Named collection, post-1970 | Collection history is named but begins after 1970. |
| Unknown history | No collection history is established for this object. Nothing here should be read as evidence of lawful acquisition or export. |