Punu Mask Maiden Spirit Mukudji White Gabon Africa

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Punu Mask Maiden Spirit Mukudji White Gabon Africa:
$95.00

TitlePunu Mask Maiden Spirit Mukudji White Gabon AfricaType of ObjectMaskCountry of pigmentApproximate Age20th centuryDimensions12.5 inches H. x 7 inches W. x 6 inches D.Overall ConditionFair. Most ofÂ our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Â Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.Â We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.Â Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.Damage/RepairChips, scratches and general wear

Additional Information: This type of mask is used by various tribes in Gabon including the Punu and the Lumbo. This spirit Maiden Mask known as Mukudji, Mukui or Moukouji or as duma or mvudi,\"portrays a beautiful maiden with natural and serene expression on the face. As in life this beautiful maiden wears an elaborate crescent hairstyle. This mask has a typical white face. There are mo holes in the back.

Such a mask would be worn with a colorful costume covering her body. It represents a female guardian spirit in the initiation of young girls, funerary rites, ancestor cults, and also in dances of the full moon. At the burial ceremonies of the Puno society, the mask represented a female ancestor. In the Mukui society, the masked performer, sometimes on stilts, performed at the dance of the full moon. (See Segy\'s MASKS OF BLACK AFRICA.) The refined features and elaborate coiffure of the Puno masks mirror the appearance of tribal women. Social cohesion is ensured by the Mukudji society , whose primary role is to subjugate harmful forest spirits. The white pigments usually seen on such masks allude to the anti-witchcraft powers of this group. They are worn by the initiates, who are often on stilts. They are thought to represent ancestor\'s faces.

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