Punu Okuyi mask
The African Okuyi masks of the Punu were worn at funeral ceremonies and other important community events, where dancers on stilts performed impressive acrobatic performances, embodying ancestral spirits and celebrating idealized feminine beauty.
Called Mukudj or Okuyi, they are distinguished by their refined aesthetic: oval faces coated in white kaolin, half-closed eyes shaped like coffee beans, arched eyebrows, and elaborate hairstyles.
Their whiteness symbolizes purity and connection to the spirit world.
The diamond-shaped frontal scarifications seen here on the forehead represent cultural motifs specific to the Punu.
02557
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- 2nd half XXth
- Size
- 31 cm (42 cm with support)
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, kaolin
- Country
- Origin
- Gathered in situ
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Damaged
The African Okuyi masks of the Punu were worn at funeral ceremonies and other important community events, where dancers on stilts performed impressive acrobatic performances, embodying ancestral spirits and celebrating idealized feminine beauty.
Called Mukudj or Okuyi, they are distinguished by their refined aesthetic: oval faces coated in white kaolin, half-closed eyes shaped like coffee beans, arched eyebrows, and elaborate hairstyles.
Their whiteness symbolizes purity and connection to the spirit world.
The diamond-shaped frontal scarifications seen here on the forehead represent cultural motifs specific to the Punu.