220307 - African Punu mask - Gabon.

Description

African Punu
mask, Nigeria.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood.
Height: 28 cm.
A Punu mask is a tribal mask native to the Ogooué River basin in Gabon, especially in the south in Ngounié Province. The masks are extremely valuable to collectors of African art, and have been sold at Sotheby's for well over 0,000. The earliest known example, collected in 1867, is part of the Pitt Rivers Museum collection at the University of Oxford. Several other museums, such as the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. are in possession of one. They have been featured in the African Negro Art show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (1935), and at the Museum voor Volkenkunde, in Rotterdam (1953). The masks were popular among European collectors during the 1920s and 1930s. Male dancers are known to wear the Okuyi while dancing. The white-faced masks are also used by other Gabon and Zaire rainforest people, such as the Kotas and Mpongwe, The Ashira also share in the white-faced mask tradition, which includes soft facial characteristics. The masks have been linked to the Mukui society and to female ancestor celebration dances, a funerary spirit association. A variation of the Punu-Lumbo mask is produced by the Tsangui in the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Compared stylistically to Japanese art, the masks are typically oval in shape, with narrowed eyes, arched eyebrows and small ears. The male masks (ikwar) tend to be brown and black pigment over kaolin and viewed as ugly and are shown at night whilst the masks for females (mukudj) tend to be lighter and considered prettier by the locals and are shown in the day. The Okuyi (or mokuyi) white-faced masks commonly contain nine scale-like patterns on the forehead. This is said to be a "central eye" and also a flowering tree. The white color, usually derived from kaolin, represents clarity, light, and beauty
A SUMMARY OF OUR AFRICA-GALLERY SELLING POLICIES.
Our Africa-gallery specialized in Ethiopian tribal art, collected and sell tribal used art from all over Africa and special from Ethiopia.
Our Gallery have a collection of authentic, original and traditional art from Africa. This collection including masks, statues, pottery, musical instruments, manuscripts, headrests and other antique, primitive art and various unusual items.
I hardly ever buy direct from Africa. All my items that I sell are old and (tribal) used. My objects come from European and American private collections, auction houses, fellow dealers and other collectors from around the world.
This site gives you an impression of our stock and activities. Authentic, museum quality African tribal art at wholesale prices
We strive to provide deeper public appreciation for high quality African art and to make it accessible to all collectors.
High quality masks, carvings, statues, fetishes, animal figures, ritual objects and bronzes displayed here will add beauty to any home and value to any collection.
In addition, an ever-growing demand for rapidly disappearing original African tribal art makes it a sound investment.
As long-time experienced collectors, we carefully select and authenticate every artifact. Shown here are original, high quality, hand-crafted pieces made of wood or bronze which can be yours at a fraction of gallery prices! Years of traditional use added distinction to many of them.
We guarantee the authenticity of every item and your complete satisfaction. We make every effort to research and document the history of each artifact.
In our gallery you will find a nice selection of our stock. If you find something that is not on the site, let us know. We always have a large stock of items that are not on our site.
Please let us know if you do not see items you want. We may be able to find them for you.
Stand
-
The stand is not included in the price, you can buy it via the "stands" button.
Payment
- PayPal preferred. For other payment methods please contact us before bidding.
Shipping
- We ship worldwide. We try and get shipments out as quickly as possible after payment, usually shipping four times weekly.
Combined shipping
- For buyers of multiple items please email us when done shopping for your combined invoice with reduced shipping fees. For urgent deliveries we can arrange courier shipments via DHL (additional charges incurred to be covered by the buyer).
Delivery
– Delivery to most destinations is anywhere between 2 to 8 business days inside Europe and 16 to 21 business days to the rest of the world, after receiving our email confirmation that the item has been shipped. Parcels shipped from the Netherlands are sent using the Post NL and the parcel status is traceable online.
Refunds & Returns
– We are aiming for your complete satisfaction. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase please return the item to us for a complete refund or exchange. No hassles, no questions asked. Refunds will be issued via PayPal or by Bank only. The shipping cost are not refund.
Please Contact Us
– For any questions, concerns, or clarifications before bidding on or purchasing an item. We are usually able to respond within 24 hours. To avoid spam filters please establish initial contact through the eBay messaging system.
Thank you for visiting our site!
Kind Regards,
Gijs van Kuijk