Ikwara black Punu mask, Gabon, wood - Lot 223

Lot 223
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Estimation :
500 - 700 EUR
Ikwara black Punu mask, Gabon, wood - Lot 223
Ikwara black Punu mask, Gabon, wood H.31cmxW.15cm Mask of the night. Unlike white okuyi masks, which were performed publicly, these masks were shrouded in secrecy. Known as ikwara (or ikwara-mokulu, meaning "mask of the night"), they were worn in nocturnal processions in the Ngounié region of southern Gabon. The Ikwara masks acted as holders of the law. The mask acted as an agent of social control and resolved serious disputes within the community. Ikwara performed only outside the village for a limited audience, the elders and parties involved in the conflict - unlike okuyi, which performed during the day inside the village. Ikwara's ritual effectiveness was due to the fear that the mask inculcated; a fear made even greater by the fact that the masked spirit only emerged from the darkness for a few moments.
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