Mahongwe Mask – Gabon – 20th Century This striking Mahongwe mask features projecting facial elements and a narrow concave shape ending in a sharp point – a design that may have influenced early Cubist art. It displays a beautiful patina with flaking pigments and shows signs of age and ritual use. The Mahongwe people, numbering around 15,000, inhabit eastern Gabon. They are closely linked to the Kota and are known for their reliquary figures and ceremonial masks used in initiation and ancestral rites. According to the previous owner, a seasoned collector of African tribal art, this mask was inherited from his grandfather, who obtained it during an expedition to Central Africa in the 1940s. A fascinating piece that embodies both cultural heritage and artistic inspiration. Origin: Gabon Tribe: Mahongwe Material: Wood, with traces of copper wire Condition: Fair – heavily used, minor parts may be missing Shipping: Standard tracked international shipping Mahongwe mask, whose projecting features and narrow concave face ending in a point could have been one of the sources of inspiration for Cubism. Thick flaking patina. The Mahongwe (Mahongwe) are about 15,000 people living in the east of Gabon. Close to the Kota, they are known for their figures of reliquary guardians similar to the heads of Naja deployed and covered on the face with juxtaposed copper wires. The Mahongwe, Obamba, Shamayé and Sango form a group with similar rites and society with the Kota. They live in the eastern part of Gabon among the forests. Some of them have crossed the border into Congo after having gone up the sources of the Ogooué. I met a collector at an auction who specialized in African cultural heritage. He told me that the mask had been inherited from his grandfather, who had acquired it during an expedition in the 1940s. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was looking at something truly special.