Paolo Birello Sculptures

These Kumba Karna Masks are tribal decorative objects realized in the Indonesian island of Bali, during the second half of the 20th century. Dimensions: cm 19 x 20. Traditional...

A fine Murano glass figure of a nude lady standing on one leg on a round glass plinth, signed by the artist.

Carved grotesque wood mask with pierced eyes, very hooked nose, cigar between very crooked bone teeth. Label on verso reads, “Willi Huggler (Swiss, 1925...

This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe to wear while dancing. Commissioned by women for their ...

A pair of Salviati Venezia studio fish Sculptures of Sommerso form, clear, over aqua blue and amber layers of thick Murano glass. Each is hand signed ...

Cute vintage Murano hand blown opalescent green, blue with controlled bubbles Italian art glass horse head paperweight / sculpture. Documented to the F...

Intriguing good looking mask artistically made of combination of hand crafted beads ,shells , and hand painted wood. To make such a exceptional object of art for display. Custom-mad...

Equisite pair of cast brass Carnivale masks mounted on black marble plinth bases. Very nicely patinated.

Large heavy and thick decorative art glass swung vase in emerald green Murano, Italy, 1960s. Measures: 42 inches tall x 8 inches diameter at the base. Col...

Italian mid-century sculptural Murano glass fish. Realized using the Sommerso technique, a clear layer of glass blown over the amber color glass, worked in bullicante, the air bubbles trapped inside the glass (technique made famous by Archimede Seguso) and infused with Silver flakes throughout. The silver and bubbles bringing the jumping fish alive inspiring the glistening reflections of water, resting atop a sea motif...

Popular 1950s Spanish bull head hand painted papier-mâché mask worn during village festivals.   

Very important “Nwantamtay” dance African mask, consisting of three sections: The upper in plain rectangular shape surmounted by a crescent shape moon, the middle with beautiful geometric triangles in black bitumen and white kaolin, surrounding a red cruciform in the centre of remarkable contrasting colors, and the lower part or face inscribed in a circular space that inspired numbered great artists like Joan Miro, Picasso and Henry Moore of a very strongly solar symbolism, with a projecting protuberance emanating from the forehead like a sculpted bird beak, that descents toward the mouth. Concentric eyes harmonize with the circular mouth, both with of elegant proportions. The whole mask exudes a supreme harmony and perfect balance rarely seen in this pieces. The back-side presents nice ware that attested the ancient origin and traces of animistic ceremonies as the use of animal blood residues. The painting of brown bitumen or cola, the natural colorants in red and ocher tones and the white kaolin are original and do not show any repainted or restored areas, giving a freshness rarely seen in old pieces. This exceptional mask Bwa, of the Hound`e Region in Burkina-Fasso, was used it the transit ceremonies and funerals manifesting the presence of “Do”, name given to their God sons, protectors and powerful spirits. The round face also represents an owl, the curving beak of the bird plants a seed into the sun, like a female sexual vulva being fecundated by the male organ; the eternal symbol of Ying and Yang, masculine and feminine, and the quest of life and death. This mask of Primitive facture can be compared to the one in the celebrated Verite Collection (this one being larger) sold in Paris at the Hotel Drouot, Saturday June 17, Lot 59, for 80,000 Euros and remarkably stands out from the Pierre and Tannia Matisse sold in Sotheby’s, New York in May 13, 2011. Another similar piece was published in: “Arman et l’art africain...