Silver Mask Pin; African, or ?

Another of Mom's pins, which I had not ever seen her wearing.
It's ~2 3/4" long, 1 1/4" wide; weight is 0.460 ozt.
The image is, for me, particularly sinister, an' haunting...spooky! I've no idea where she may have acquired it, nor why inna world she'd have worn it...ugh. The cold impression is of a stylized spear or arrow point...Thanks for lookin'!

 

Now that one I like ! Id have sworn Norwegian or Dutch,but they usually mark I think.

 

It appears to have been made by someone strongly influenced by African art, masks in particular.

It has the long nose and small mouth found on some Marka masks, plus the long protrusions on each side of the head. It also resembles Bambara masks from the Kore Society. Both tribes are located in Mali.

It certainly shows the African influence on the Modern Art scene of the early 20th century. So I wouldn't necessarily call it spooky or sinister, and I don't think it has anything to do with spears or arrow points!

 

Now, to me, I see a more gentle outer line of a resting bird, other than the head on the inside!!

 

Interesting pin. It looks like it might have been inspired by puppets made by the Bamana/Bambara people of Mali. The puppets are used in performances called "Sogo bo" -
"Sogo bo, the puppet masquerade drama of the Bamana, is an exploration of the moral universe.
The relationship between men and women and the problems of domestic relations in polygamous households are important concerns of many Sogo bo performances. Conflict among co-wives is a popular theme in many stories and two of the main characters areBarabara, the Favorite Wife, and the Galomuso, the Bad Wife. Like folktales and other theatrical forms, these masquerade performances throw cultural values and social relationships into high relief and open them up for public scrutiny.
https://www.hamillgallery.com/BAMANA/BamanaPuppets/BamanaPuppets.html#:~:text=BAMANA STYLE PUPPETS, Mali&text=Sogo bo, the puppet masquerade,of many Sogo bo performances.


https://www.artsy.net/artwork/bamana-traditional-sculptor-bamana-sogo-bo-female-figure


https://tribalartforum.com/products/bamana-marionettes-a-couple-of-merekoun-puppets

 

yup.......

 

I think you have nailed it, Books...Thank you for those delightful links!

 

Very cool piece! Good job 2many!