Beautiful female face mask "okuyi" or "mukudji" - Gabon, Punu

wood, white earth "pemba", red pigment, collection label "II 54", base

The white masks of the Punu from Southern Gabon have become one of the emblematic images of African arts since the end of the 19th century.

The "okuyi" dance, which gave its name to these masks, brought the community together for major events: during the funerals of its most important members, at the birth of twins, at the initiation of young men, and to restore social order after a crisis in the community. The okuyi dancer, accompanied with his acolytes, danced through the village on high stilts provoking people with acrobatic stunts.

"Okuyi" invoked spirits from the underworld that were incarnated as a “beautiful young girl”. Her appearance was idealized in an exquisitely carved mask.
H: 28 cm, H: 11,0 inch

Provenance:
Lore Kegel, Hamburg, Germany
Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany
Joseph Christiaens, Brussels, Belgium
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 22 September 2001, Lot 534
Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany
Condition Report: See description