H x W x D: 29.5 x 21 x 17.8 cm (11 5/8 x 8 1/4 x 7 in.)
Type:
Mask
Geography:
Congo
Ngounié or Nyanga Province, Gabon
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
Wood masks whitened with kaolin have been observed among the Shira, Lumbo, Vuvi, Sango and Punu peoples in south and south central Gabon and southwestern Republic of the Congo since the late 19th century. Called mukudj and variant names according to geographical location (e.g., okuyi), the masks appeared in masquerades during funeral celebrations, when masked male dancers on stilts, concealed under fiber costumes, performed acrobatic feats. Contemporary Punu prominently display the masks in their homes as a sign of ethnic identity and wear mukudj masks made specially for performances that celebrate a number of events.
The masks range from highly naturalistic to extremely abstract in style and are found in distinct geographical locations. The clear naturalism of this mask argues for a southern origin among the Punu. The sculptor carefully gave the mask feminine attributes such as the hairstyle and scarification patterns on the forehead and temples. The white color, however, is genderless: it symbolizes the afterlife and the spirits of the dead. This particular mask is decorated with imported buttons that were acquired through trade and considered exotic and thus used to enhance carvings.
Description:
White faced mask with red lips, narrow slit eyes, raised scarification marks arranged in a diamond shape on the forehead and in a square shaped pattern at the temples and central lobed hairstyle with incised lines. The hairline is edged with buttons.
Provenance:
Private collection, Paris, -- to 1960
André Fourquet, Paris, 1960 to 1990
Alain de Monbrison, Paris, 1990
Exhibition History:
Pavilion: A New Look, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 9, 2019–ongoing
African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 9, 2019)
African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 19, 2013
Treasures, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 17, 2004-August 15, 2005
Published References:
Glorieux-Desouche, Isabelle. 2006. Comment parler des arts premiers aux enfants
Afrique, Amériques, Asie et Océanie (How to Talk to Children About World Art). Paris: Le baron perche, cover, pp. 114-117, no. 16.
Mellor, Stephen P. 2004. "The Exhibition and Conservation of African Objects: Considering the Nontangible." Art Tribal 7, p. 113, no. 6.
National Museum of African Art, 1987-1997: Celebrating 10 Years on the Mall. 1997. Museum brochure. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, no. 1990, front cover.
National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 107, no. 73.
Patton, Sharon F. 2004. Treasures: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. Folio.
Wilhélm, Raymonde. 1985. Le Guidargus de l'art primitif. Paris: Les Editions de l'Amateur, p. 249.
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