Anthropomorphic face mask "okukwè" · Gabon, Galoa · ID: 3047744
Alfons Bermel, Berlin, Germany
Zemanek-Münster, 19 June 2010, Lot 379
Kevin Conru, London, Great Britain
Piet Lepelaar, Leiden, The Netherlands
Description
wood, kaolin, red pigment, base
These masks, reported by Frobenius as early as 1898, are called “okukwe” (“okoukoué”) and were danced at important transition ceremonies, such as funerals of important people, initiation rites or twin births.
The object Anthropomorphic face mask “okukwè” with the object ID 3047744 was part of the auction 96th Auction on April 24, 2021. The object with the lot number 111 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,300 with an asking price of EUR 1,500.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Perrois, Louis, Arts du Gabon, Paris 1979, p. 241, ill. 255
Publications
AHDRC: 0125021