Kwele - Statue - Congo (No reserve price)

Kwélé

African art. Adorned with an elegant head recalling Okuyi masks, this mask features two Kwélé delineated by cords and covered in animal skin, each accentuated by a braided element. It extends into two projections evoking legs, while the padded headdress stretches into the nape of the neck with a collar around the face. The typical Kwélé scarifications, forming checkerboard patterns, are present on the forehead and temples. The eyes, like coffee beans, seem closed, expressing serenity. A rich patina of kaolin covers the face, except for the lips outlined in red and the frontal headband.

apprentice smiths are initiated by the elders into the sexual symbolism of forge bellows. The Kwélé, also called , are mainly located in southern Gabon. Originating from the Ngounié basin, they migrated south.