Okuyi Mask, Punu, Gabon

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Home > African Masks

Okuyi Mask, Punu, Gabon

Item Id: 895223

Artist: Punu Tribe

Medium: Wood, Paint

Dimensions; height: 11", width: 8", depth: 6.5", weight: 2lbs

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$395.00

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Description

A representation of the idealized female face, the classic Punu mask is characterized by a high ridged coiffure (popular among the Punu women), protruding pursed lips, high domed forehead, arched eyebrows, tribal geometrical scarification, eyes narrowly slit between convex lids and a short finely shaped noseÛall coming together to create an appearance of deep serenity. The Okuyi mask represents the spirits of young women who return to the village at the time of funerals. The pale color is a symbol of peace, deities, spirits of the dead and the afterlife. Hidden beneath long skirts of raffia, cotton fabric and animal skins and moving with amazing agility and balance, the dancer performs among the spectators on stilts up to six and a half feet in height. Today the masks are used primarily for entertainment purposes during festivals.

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