Mask - Tsogho/Mitsogho. - Gabon - Initiation Mask

Among the Tsogho or Mitsogho mountain-dwellers of Gabon, this mask represents the primordial Ancestor namedNzambe: it serves a double function within Bwété society. A sacred object reserved for initiates only at night, the same mask appears by day before everyone’s eyes, taking on an ambiguous role: in this case, it still evokes fear but also becomes a pretext for a game. It is also possible to observe during the daytime rejoicings following the Bwété ceremonies real staged scenes in which unmasked characters take part, but disguised or garbed in grotesque trappings, a kind of fools portraying anecdotal characters, during licentious or satirical scenes in which the tribe’s history and its disputes with neighboring tribes are evoked. Dry patina from use. Height 28 cm x width 16 cm x depth 9 cm. Weight 250 g.