Mukuyé-style mask, PUNU, Gabon. - Lot 161

Lot n° 161
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Estimation :
18000 - 25000 EUR
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Mukuyé-style mask, PUNU, Gabon. - Lot 161
Mukuyé-style mask, PUNU, Gabon. Black-lacquered wood Height: 26 cm (Damage, restoration) This very old and beautiful mask depicts a face with highly refined features, elongated eyes, and an aquiline nose. It wears a headdress with three combed buns covered in a thick black patina. The collar used to attach adornments has retained a few thin wooden pegs. The vast majority of masks from the Punu region are coated in white pigment made from kaolin. According to Charlotte Grand-Dufay and Louis Perrois (Punu, 5 Continents, 2008), black Punu masks account for only 8% of the studied corpus. According to information gathered by the authors, they are believed to be representations of spirits of justice. This rare object far exceeded its estimate at the Vérité auction in June 2006.
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