Ngil - Fang - Gabon

Gabon Fang Wood Height 620mm Width: 290mm Depth: 200mm This superb carved wooden mask corresponds to the emblematic Fang mask style, an important ethnicity mainly present in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and southern Cameroon. 1. Characteristics and Origin: The Ngil style This mask presents the minimalist and refined aesthetics typical of the masks of the Ngil secret society (the Gorilla): • The heart-shaped elongated face: The face stretches concavely into an elongated heart shape, a feature particular to Fang statuary that strongly influenced early 20th-century Western modern artists (such as Modigliani or Picasso). • The kaolin whiteness: The face is covered with a white patina based on kaolin. In Fang cosmogony, the color white is not chosen at random: it symbolizes light, purity, justice, but it also directly references the realm of ancestors and spirits (the dead having a white or pale appearance). • The minimalist features: The eyes are reduced to fine slits (horizontal incisions), the nose is extremely long and straight, dividing the face symmetrically with a dark line, and the mouth is placed very low, reduced to its simplest expression. Dark scarification patterns (often in the form of lines or chevrons) emphasize the forehead, eyes and cheeks. 2. Usage and social function Historically, this mask played a crucial judicial and social-regulatory role within Fang communities, before the Ngil society was banned by French colonial authorities in the early 20th century (around 1910) due to its power being deemed too great. • The pursuit of sorcerers and criminals: The Ngil secret society watched over public order. The mask bearer usually appeared at nightfall, escorted by initiates. Its main function was to unmask sorcerers (beyem), poisoners, thieves, or individuals who had committed serious crimes within the village. • A supreme judicial authority: Because of its spectral, imposing, and mystical appearance, the mask embodied an indisputable sentence. The whiteness recalling the deceased conferred upon the bearer the absolute authority of the ancestors. Guilt-ridden individuals faced severe penalties, ranging from heavy fines to death. • Purifying effect: Beyond repression, the visit of the Ngil mask allowed spiritual cleansing of the village from negative forces and the restoration of social and religious harmony. Fast and protected shipping. Packages are sent with insurance and a tracking number. Delivery by Chronopost within 1 to 3 days in France, 2 to 5 days in the European Union. Delivery in the rest of Europe, worldwide and in the islands with 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

Estimate:£125.57

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