African helmet mask Ngontang - Fang - Gabon - SOLD OUT

The Fang and their traditional helm called Ngontang

Among the Fang, Perrois notes the wearing of helmet masks or helmets with several faces like this one during a ritual associated with the cult of ancestors Byeri, and even today, for a festive dance called Ngontang (ngon meaning girl) .

for the Ngontang, the dancer was undergoing an initiation during which he swallowed a remedy to acquire light movements, rubbed his body with protective potions, wore talismans, and had no sexual activity.

The style and typology of this mask seem inspired from one of the J-L Grimaud collection previously sold by Zemanek-Münster.

Sold out
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Data sheet

Presumed dating
2nd half XXth
Size
40 x 24 cm
Ethnic group
Fang
Material(s)
Wood
Country
Gabon