Arm mask "eyema-e-ya-minkun" · Gabon, Fang · ID: 3053184
Starting price
EUR 2,000
Estimated price
EUR 4,000
Provenance
Gilles Hertzel, Ile de France, FranceSize
H: 12 cm
H: 4.7 inch
Description
wood, pigments, plant fibres, base
These small masks were worn on the arm by initiates and “melan” dancers during ritual ceremonies. In cultic practices, they served to conjure up the faces of the ancestors and make their presence visible. At the same time, they illustrate the special spiritual connection between the officiants and the beings of the spirit world.
Comparing literature
Perrois, Louis, Visions of Africa, Fang, Milan 2006, pl. 60