Mask of the Ngil - Fang

lot/mask of the ngil fang gabon V9e3vBS 633203320 / For sale

lot/mask of the ngil fang gabon V9e3vBS 633203320

For saleAuction results

lot/mask of the ngil fang gabon V9e3vBS 633203320

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Mask of the Ngil - Fang - Gabon

Gabon / Cameroon Fang Wood Height: 590mm Width: 195mm Depth: 130mm This wooden mask with an elegantly stretched shape comes from the Fang people, a major Central African ethnic group established mainly in Gabon, south of Cameroon, and in Equatorial Guinea. It embodies the streamlined, spiritual, and highly graphic aesthetics of the great sculptural styles of the equatorial forest. Stylistic and Aesthetic Characteristics The piece features remarkable artistic canons and a pursuit of minimalist balance: • The heart-shaped face and straight nose: The brow ridges form a fluid, continuous curve that converges to draw an exceptionally long, thin, straight nose, structuring the entire vertical dynamics of the face. • Kaolin patina: The front is entirely coated with a white kaolin-based preparation. Among the Fang and neighboring peoples, the white color represents spiritual light, truth, justice, and the benevolent presence of spirits or ancestors. • Eyes adorned with grooves: The eyes, reduced to fine horizontal slits, are highlighted by hollow carved motifs in the shape of tears (or ovals) adorned with parallel fine vertical lines, giving the mask a gaze full of deep interiority. • The minimalist mouth: True to the style, the mouth is extremely reduced, placed at the very lower edge of the pointed chin and marked with small vertical incisions. • The reverse for use: The inner face is deeply hollowed with a mortiser, revealing the raw wood texture and a series of small regular perforations along the edge, which were used to fix the headdress and the heavy raffia fiber costume. Ritual Use and Function This type of mask was not ornamental or merely entertaining, but held a major social and religious role: • The power of justice (Ngil Society or related rites): These white masks were the attributes of masculine regulating societies tasked with maintaining order, dispensing justice, and fighting sorcery. The mask bearer appeared to identify and punish troublemakers, thieves, or poisoners. • The embodiment of an invisible force: Entirely hidden under its costume, the dancer lost his human identity to become the voice of ancestors and the forces of the beyond. The fixed, almost timeless expression of the face symbolizes impartial, serene justice, detached from the passions of the living. • Purification of the village: Its appearance allowed the community to be purified, to drive away bad influences, and to restore social and spiritual harmony between the world of the living and that of the spirits. Packages are shipped from Monday to Saturday with insurance and tracking number. Delivery in 1 to 3 days in France via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days across the European Union. Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide via Colissimo International. We speak english Mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano

Estimate:£127.41

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