This Luvale Nalindele mask was acquired from the Ivy Collection in 1992. It was field collected by Marion and her father Bob (Ivy) in 1953. The mask is decorated with three chingelyengelye scarifications on the brow and either cheek, the symbol itself of Angolan - Portuguese origin.

Nalindele was a variant Pwevo mask - tribally specific to the Luvale / Lwena people. They were usually light or red in colour and depicted a stylish adult woman - perhaps European. In Makishi Lya Zambia - M. Jordán - pg 172 it says; The name NALINDELE is probably related to the term chindele (pl. vindele), used by the Luvale and other Angolan and Zambian peoples to refer to a white person. This may explain the light 'skin' color and the form of NALINDELE's facial features.

Nalindele is no longer made for traditional purposes in this style. Fashion changed the appearance of the mask from its zenith - after 1950.

Makishi Lya Zambia - Pg 160 - Charles Meur

 Above - Nalindele as she may appear in full costume.

The Ivy Collection
 

Robert (Bob) Ivy was born January 3rd 1912. He took over his father's taxidermy business - established in 1910. Under Bob's guidance, the enterprise received worldwide recognition for its artistic techniques used to reproduce life like specimens of animals. Theodore Roosevelt was in included in their clientele.
 

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From the 1940's, Bob and his young daughter Marion (nee Crozier / nee Avice du Buisson) travelled through the African veldt together, visiting natives and learning about their material culture. Congo and Angolese artefacts were acquired in Zambia and a tribal art business was established. Marion created a 'Collector's Corner' of ethnographic objects in all five outlets. 

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A private museum of ethnographic and tribal art works was displayed at the Johannesburg Market Street branch. Objects were marked; Marion Du Buisson - NFS  (Marion Ivy - Not for Sale)

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Gerard Bhengu and Barbara Tyrrell sold their artworks at J R Ivy's. Famed collectors Killie Campbell, Egon Guenther, Odor Horstmann, Vittorio Meneghelli, Sydney Press and Colin Sayers frequented the premises, as did artist/authors Aubrey Elliot, Hannes Harrs, Sam Haskins, Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa and Karel Nel.

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The family business was sold in 1983. Marion Ivy's NFS collection was taken home. In 1992 the Afri-Karner Museum acquired many objects in the collection including the Ivy's Albums. This mask was one that the 'Ivy Collection' had retained.

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'The Egon Gunter Family Collection' was offered for sale by Sotheby's New York in November 2000. Many objects attributed to JR Ivy were included while world record prices were set. Egon was an art dealer who opened his first gallery in Germany during the 1940's and in 1951, moved to South Africa. Marion confirmed that he had unsuccessfully tried to purchase this mask, as well as three others. One of the others (a Yaka/Suku mask) came onto the market in 2007 and may be viewed here.