PUNU - GABON - Lot 147

Lot 147
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Estimation :
400 - 600 EUR
PUNU - GABON - Lot 147
PUNU - GABON White female mask in carved wood with patina and pigment, the headdress has one shell. (heavy wear) Height : 30.5 cm - Width : 20 cm - Depth : 13 cm Note : Today, the Punu are the main group in the Ngounié and Nyanga provinces. The Punu sculpt female masks, covered in kaolin, to evoke the spirits of their ancestors. The mukudji mask is a form of expression common to many closely related regional groups, and is worn during the mukudj performance, an exceptional event. The mukudj inspires a feeling of admiration mixed with awe, given the impressive physical prowess of the performer, who towers over the audience on stilts that can be more than three meters high. These masks belong to the male mwiri society, presented by a dancer on stilts. The dancer, dressed in a costume of plant fibers, holds a fly-catcher in each hand, which he brandishes to threaten the population. A symbol of authority, he appears in the village courtyard at times of mourning for great personalities, at the birth of twins, and during initiation rites. Source : "Les Forêts natales - Arts d'Afrique équatoriale Atlantique - Actes Sud Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac - October 2017"
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