Ceremonial Fang mask: an exceptional African work of art in wood
Africa. Fang (Gabon).
Exceptional Fang ceremonial mask.
The Fang, whose real ethnonym is thought by some to be Ekang, are a Bantu ethnic group found today in Central Africa. Fang sculpture was soon appreciated and recognized in Europe for its aesthetic appeal and power to fascinate.
Careful observation of the masks and statues reveals the sculptor's concern to go beyond the utilitarian function of the objects to give them meaning and a remarkable aesthetic quality (precision of arrangement, balance of volumes with a geometric tendency, subtle opposition and alternation of hollows and solids, treatment of surfaces that are sometimes polished and shiny).
Wood, plant fibers and kaolin.
Approx. height: 74 / 41cm.
Automatically translated by DeepL. The original version is the only legally valid version. To see the original version, switch to the French language.
