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Dimitri André

Impressive Gon Gorilla Mask – Kwele – Gabon

In good state but with obvious signs of use. It dates to around the first quarter of the 20th century. On stand.

Provenance: Ex – collection of David and Slomo Petrov, Paris. Obtained from them by P. Westerdijk around 1980.

This male gorilla head mask was made to strike terror into the mind of onlookers. It was made part of the Bwiti ideology and was originally meant to maintain social stability in a role as judge, not unlike the role of the Ngil mask among the Fang. In a later stage it went to terrorize the population and was eventually banned by the French authorities. The mask shows the physionomy of the adult lowland male gorilla in a somewhat exaggerated form with high central crest and two fangs coming down from the lower jaw. It is a typical example of its kind with white, red and black as its main colours. Fine, well-used example with a beautiful interior of dry surfaces hewn – out with an adze by a carver who knew how to wield his tool with certain strokes.

Literature: Yves le Fur (ed.): Les Forêts Natales, Paris, 2017, p.82 and 85. See also fig. 125.

Dimensions: 37 x 19 x 16 cm.
People / Region: The Kwele occupy the northeastern corner of Gabon and adjacent parts of Congo Brazza and Cameroun in the Upper Ivindo River area.
Material: semi dense wood, probably Alstonia congensis or gabonnensis.
Weight: 0.58 kg.

Sold with handwritten declaration of authenticity by Dr. P. Westerdijk, museum ethnologist and cultural anthropologist specialized, for over 50 years now, in the study of the material cultures in African nations that live south of the Sahara.



It dates to around the first quarter of the 20th century - Good 

Gon Gorilla Mask - semi dense wood, probably Alstonia congensis or gabonnensis - Kwele - Gabon 

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Gon Gorilla Mask - semi dense wood, probably Alstonia congensis or gabonnensis - Kwele - Gabon

927 objects

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African Art

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Gon Gorilla Mask - semi dense wood, probably Alstonia congensis or gabonnensis - Kwele - Gabon

927 objects

Related collections