Mask - Gabon (No reserve price)
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Wooden Fang mask from Gabon, linked to the Fang people, in mint unused condition, measuring 31 cm high by 20 cm wide.
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Description from the seller
Designed to unmask sorcerers in order to counter occult powers, this figurative-styled version of the Fang African mask appeared accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices. It also surfaced during initiations out of the sight of laypeople. Semi-matte patina. Minimal abrasions.
The appearance of these masks, typically coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could provoke fear. This type of mask was used by the male ngil society which no longer exists today. This secret society was responsible for initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. Guardian of peace, it also fixed the seasons, the location where villages should be established, and the conditions for the exploitation of agricultural lands.
The Fang ethnicity, established in a region extending from Yaoundé in Cameroon to Ogooué in Gabon, has never had political unity. The cohesion of the clans was maintained through intermediaries.
Designed to unmask sorcerers in order to counter occult powers, this figurative-styled version of the Fang African mask appeared accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices. It also surfaced during initiations out of the sight of laypeople. Semi-matte patina. Minimal abrasions.
The appearance of these masks, typically coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could provoke fear. This type of mask was used by the male ngil society which no longer exists today. This secret society was responsible for initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. Guardian of peace, it also fixed the seasons, the location where villages should be established, and the conditions for the exploitation of agricultural lands.
The Fang ethnicity, established in a region extending from Yaoundé in Cameroon to Ogooué in Gabon, has never had political unity. The cohesion of the clans was maintained through intermediaries.
Details
Era
After 2000
Material
Wood
Country of origin
Gabon
Condition
As new - unused
Height
31 cm
Width
20 cm
