This auction is for a wonderfully detailed M’Pongwe mask from Gabon, on the western coast of Africa. This mask has a face painted white with kaolin (white is the symbolic color of the dead), slit eyes, red/brown-stained lips, and the high-piled hairdo which resembles the hair styles of the women who live in this region. The mask is in very good condition. Known as the “mvudi”, it represents the female guardian spirit in the initiation of adolescent girls (circumsion ceremonies), funeral rites, ancestor cults, and also dances in the full of the moon. In the Mukui society the masked persons performed their full-moon rituals while wearing stilts. In this matriarchal society, the “Mvudi” is a strong influence in the culture. Free Shipping in Continental US! |