Lot n° 87
Estimation :
200 - 300
EUR
Punu crest, Gabon - Lot 87
Punu crest, Gabon
Very famous in early art for their white masks with an oriental expression, the Punu also produced rarer anthropomorphic figures with stylistic features comparable to their masks. This tribal figure is depicted seated on a dome, forming an altar figure or crest mask.
The closed, coffee-bean eyes are surmounted by fine eyebrow arches that meet under the famous mabinda sign, which was engraved on the forehead from an early age.
This diamond-shaped scarification also appears on the figure's shoulders and in checkerboard patterns on the temples.
A white kaolin-based patina covers the entire face, as on okuyi masks, while a reddish coating covers the rest of the object.
The headdress is divided into numerous shells.
49 x 21 cm
The Punu settled in southwestern Gabon following conflicts with their Fang neighbors. As in many other ethnic groups, Punu art objects are associated with funeral rituals and initiation rites in Mukudji society, as well as with specific magical rites during which dancers in full regalia display them. These rites of justice are intended to uncover the sorcerers
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