Superb Fang Ngontang Mask, Four-Faced, Outstanding

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Superb Fang Ngontang Mask, Four-Faced, Outstanding

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Sold Date: 05/22/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

African Tribal Art

Fang Ngontang Mask

Gabon

Material: wood, pigment etc Condition: good, signs of use, tribal repair to crack Size: approx 16" high (40cm) Fang Ngontang Mask

Gabon

This beautifully-made and decorated ngontang mask is one of the best I have seen. It may look as though it was made last week, but it is a genuine tribal item, showing unmistakeable signs of use both inside and out. T is some damage to the mask; the top shows marks of being struck, a very common feature of authentic masks, and a long crack in one side has been repaired with wicker "stitches," a common Fang procedure for repairing prized masks.

Ngontang , the white maiden of the Fang, is a spirit who returns to her village to seek out sorcerers and witches. Her four faces make her all-seeing. These masks are usually decorated with elaborate plumage when danced -- the four peaks of the mask were used to attach feathers and quills.

West African colonial authorities opposed the old tribal cults in the early decades of the last century, identifying them with political and social disobedience. Retreating from byeri and ngil left the Fang exposed to malign spirits and bereft of ancestral protection. Christianity was not a solution for all and many Fang transferred old beliefs into new forms, including ngontang , a cult which both honours the ancestors and offers protection against witches.

The outstanding carving skill of the Fang is attested to by the sublime beauty of this mask.

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