Masque de bras "eyema-e-ya-minkun" ·  Gabon, Fang · ID: 3053184

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.

Littérature comparée

Perrois, Louis, Visions of Africa, Fang, Milan 2006, pl. 60