Mask ·  Gabon, Galoa · ID: 3034069

Description

wood, polychrome paint, curved brows, big eyes with narrow slits, a slightly protruding mouth, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on metal base;
the Galoa live at the lower Ogowe, between the coast and Lambarene. Their masks regularize daily life. They sanctify big events, such as the birth of twins, initiation, mourning for important persons and so on. Because the Galoa are a rather small ethnical group their masks are quite rare ! For a long time they got mixed up with masks of the Fang, living north of the Ogowe. The first examples were reproduced by Frobenius.