Id this African (congo?) mask Please?

[newempire@echoes.net]

Hello everyone!

Nice forum! Can someone please provide input on this axe?
Prestige? Songye?

Thank you,
Ernest.

[VANDOO]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!! :)

I THINK SONGYE WOULD BE A GOOD GUESS BUT NOT BEING AN EXPERT AND YOUR AX IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD ONES I HAVE SO I CAN'T CONFIRM IT FOR YOU. A PICTURE OF THE AX HEAD WOULD HELP THE AFRICAN AX SPECIALISTS PIN IT DOWN FOR YOU. AN ATTRACTIVE AX CONGRADULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SEARCH FOR INFORMATION.

[Freddy]

Hi Ernest, welcome to the forum.

Your piece is definitively Songye, judging from the head at the end of the handle. Here are some small Songye statues so you can compare :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/keris_hanuman/Afbeelding1754-1.jpg



I would like to see a better picture of the blade. It's an atypical one and it looks very interesting to me.

[newempire@echoes.net]

Hi Freddy,
Thanks for the welcome, I have done some reading on previous posts in this forum and from what I see, there is a vast amount of knowledge shared among the members. I'm certain and happy to have found this great forum.

Here is a better picture of the blade, am I quasi correct in assuming this may also have a fertility symbolism? thanks for your feedback.

Ernest.