Mpongwe Mask, Gabon

• Object: Mpongwe Mask, Gabon
• Artist: -
• Circa: -
• Dimensions: -
• Culture Area: Africa, Gabon
• Cultural Group: Mpongwe or Punu
• Cultural Context: The Punu people are a society in Gabon, Africa. A country on the coastline of Central Africa which includes societies such as: Apono, Bapunu, Mpongwe, Pounou, and the Puno. These masks are worn for ceremonial purposes and represent idealized face of their female ancestors. The hair mimics the way women wore it in that region. Diamond markings indicate scarification that honor the presence of spirits of the deceased. Their white faces symbolizes peace, spirits of the dead, and deities. The masks are used in ceremony to entertain audiences during festivities. Rarely are they worn during funerals or masquerades. Dancers wear these masks during a full moon which creates an eerie ambience. The dancers are adorned with animal pelts, cotton fabrics and raffia. With great agility, the masked dancers are lifted into the air, up to fifteen feet, in order to fully embody the ancestral spirit. <Possible Okuyi Mykuyi Mask> More research needed. RSM
• Donor: Barbara & Hiro Narita
• Catalog #: 114.218