Punu mask, Gabon - Lot 17

Punu mask, Gabon XIX°- XX° century Wood, red and black pigments, kaolin Height: 37 cm Provenance : Bernd Muhlack Collection, Germany, acquired ca. 1970 --- Punu Mask, Gabon XIX°- XX° century Wood, red, black pigments, kaolin Height: 37 cm Provenance : Collection Bernd Muhlack, Germany, acquired ca. 1970 An essential emblem of the primitive arts since the end of the 19th century, and one of the first works celebrated by the modernists. The Okuyi mask was worn during acrobatic dances by men perched on stilts; the existence of these rituals was reported as early as the mid-19th century by explorer Paul du Chaillu. Their beauty is an echo, a hymn, a resonance to the power and importance of women in Punu social organization. Subtly embodying, in turn, the spirit of the ancestor and feminine beauty, this mask's idealized appearance, softness and beauty combine and celebrate two opposing entities, two dualities: youth and death, sensual beauty and the serenity of the ancestor and the spirit world. The Okuyi paradox is summed up masterfully and plastically. Sensitivity of gaze, underlined by its arched, heightened eyebrows, its half-closed "coffee bean" eyes, finely scarified in an inverted arc, symbolize an inner vision, a link between the living and the dead. The mask is powdered with kaolin, the white that traditionally covers women's bodies during the ceremony. The slightly hemmed mouth, the cheekbones, the delicate scarring on the temples and the veins of the eyes are revealed by padouk red. The magumbi diadem on the forehead, made up of nine scales, is an identifying motif referring to the nine primordial clans in the mythical history of the Punu. According to Louis Perrois, the alternation and combination of symbols, between the scarification marks on the temples, a distinctive sign of masculinity, and the feminine diadem, is an identification of ancestral endogeneity. The delicate, refined headdress, extended in fine lateral braids, is topped by two axial shells flanked by two chiselled buns. It corresponds to the Perrois classification, which includes the famous mask from the Goldet collection (Collection Hubert Goldet, Paris July 1, 2001, lot 269), as well as the one from the Vérité collection (Enchères rive gauche, June 17-18, 2006, lot 185), and the one from the Rotterdam museum collection. This type of ceremonial headdress was widespread in the 19th century, in the western part of Gabon, among the Aduma and the Punu of Ngounié. ---- Essential emblem of the early arts since the end of the 19th century, among the first works celebrated by modernists. The Okuyi mask was worn during acrobatic dances by men perched on stilts, the existence of these rituals was reported in the mid-nineteenth century by the explorer Paul du Chaillu. Their beauty is an echo, a hymn, a resonance to the power and importance of women in social organization among the Punu. Subtly embodying, in turn, the spirit of the ancestor and feminine beauty, by its idealized appearance, its sweetness and its beauty this mask manages to unite and celebrate two opposing entities, two dualities: youth and death, the sensual beauty and serenity of the ancestor and spirit world. Summing up masterfully, plastically the paradox of the Okuyi. Sensitivity of the gaze, underlined by his raised arched eyebrows, his eyes like "coffee beans" half-closed, finely scarified in an arc of inverted circle, symbolize an inner vision, a link between the living and the dead. The powdery kaolin mask, which is also a traditional white covering of women's bodies during the ceremony. The slightly hemmed mouth, the cheekbones, the delicate scarifications on the temples, as well as the rib of the eyes are revealed by the red padouk. The tiara adorning the front composed of nine scales, named magumbi is an identity motif in reference to the nine primordial clans of the mythical history of punu. According to Louis Perrois, the alternation and combination of symbols between scarifications on the temples, a distinctive sign of masculinity, and the female diadem is an identification of ancestral endogeneity. The delicate refined headdress, extended in thin lateral braids, is surmounted by two axial shells flanked by two chiseled chignons. It corresponds to the classification of Perrois in which are listed the famous mask of the Goldet collection (Collection Hubert Goldet, Paris 1st July 2001, lot 269), as well as that of the Vérité collection (Enchères rive gauche, 17-18 June 2006, lot 185), and the collection of the Rotterdam Museum. This type of ceremonial headdress was widespread in the 19th century, in the western part of Gabon, among the Aduma