Masque anthropomorphe - Wood - Gabon - Late 19th century

Anthropomorphic Okuyi Mask Punu culture, southern Gabon. Second half of the 20th century. Wood and pigments. Height: 24. 5 cm; Width: 14. 5 cm; Depth: 5. 5 cm. Sold with a stand. Ancient mask of small dimensions, depicting a crest-hairdo striated with incisions. The face is delimited by a drop of material, forming the two ears in half-circles on the sides. Traces of kaolin are still visible on the border. The eyes and the mouth are pierced in a rectangular form, the eyebrows are formed by two crescent moons. Incised scarifications are visible between the eyes, on the temples and on the cheeks. These sorts of masks are named Okuyi - we can also find these in the regions named Mukuyi or Mukudji. It refers to ancestor figures.