Female face mask "okuyi" · Gabon, Lumbo / Punu · ID: 3050309
not available anymore
Provenance
William J. (Bill) Moore, Los Angeles, USAHarry A. Franklin, Beverly Hills, USA
Jean-Paul Agogué, Champigny-sur-Marne, France
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 8 September 2012, Lot 364
Size
H: 29,8 cm
H: 11.7 inch
Description
wood, kaolin, inventory no. in black letters on white background “AJP 1158”
This mask is a variant of the so-called “White Masks of Ogooué” and depicts an idealised female face. The face is traditionally coloured with white clay “pemba”. They were believed to represent female ancestors from the afterlife.
Such masks were worn by virtuosic male performers of a stilt dance, which involved towering impressively while executing complex choreography and astonishing feats of acrobatics.