Description: Ref: m-1753Height 30 CM Product Description Punu mask from Gabon. Over 40 years old. Piece on base. The Punu (also called Bapunu, plural of Mupunu) form an ethnic group mainly distributed in the south of Gabon. The Punu migrated to southern Gabon (in the Ngounié basin) in the 18th century. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest. Their language is Yipunu. Yipunu speakers are found mainly in the provinces of Ngounié and Nyanga. The largest concentrations are the towns of Mouila, Ndendé (Ngounié); Tchibanga and Moabi (Nyanga). Today, we must add cities like Lambaréné (Moyen-Ogooué) and even the capital of the country, Libreville. In terms of the number of speakers, Yipunu ranks second after the Fang language. In Gabon, in the Ngounié basin, the mukuyi commemorates the deceased. Mounted on huge stilts, a masked dancer, whose body is hidden under a cloth garment - formerly made of raffia - performs acrobatic figures while brandishing a fly swatter in each hand. Mukuyi masks are supposed to represent ancestors, sometimes female. The enigmatic face of the mask is slightly triangular. Under the closed eyes, stretched into almond shapes, and as if swollen by sleep, the high cheekbones become rounded. The number and arrangement of scarifications varies from one style or ethnic group to another. The most common pattern, in the form of scales, comprises nine diamonds. This distinctive sign, called mabinda, was engraved in the flesh of children, around the age of ten to fourteen. The Punu live mainly in Gabon. They are renowned for the mysterious beauty of their masks with their white faces painted with kaolin and the extreme finesse of their lines. Their masks present their ideal of feminine beauty. They express the serenity of the elders who protect and advise them from the realm of the dead. They are used by dancers during funeral rites. Black masks have a judicial function. The frontal or temporal scarifications in the shape of a diamond with nine points represent their cosmogony and evoke the notion of perfection and wisdom. The central point is the creative principle (God) which gave birth to the four cardinal points (the world) as well as to the two primordial couples (humans) african art african tribal art arte africana afrikanische kunstAfrican art, African maskPart delivered with an invoice and a certificate of authenticity.The Punu (also called Bapunu, plural of Mupunu) form an ethnic group mainly distributed in the south of Gabon. The Punu migrated to southern Gabon (in the Ngounié basin) in the 18th century. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest. Their language is Yipunu. Yipunu speakers are found mainly in the provinces of Ngounié and Nyanga. The largest concentrations are the towns of Mouila, Ndendé (Ngounié); Tchibanga and Moabi (Nyanga). Today, we must add cities like Lambaréné (Moyen-Ogooué) and even the capital of the country, Libreville. In terms of the number of speakers, Yipunu ranks second after the Fang language. In Gabon, in the Ngounié basin, the
Price: 929.27 USD
Location: Bastia
End Time: 2024-12-31T01:41:15.000Z
Shipping Cost: 48.68 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 60 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Material: Wood
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Origine: Africa
Type: Mask
Brand: Unbranded
MPN: Does not apply