Authentic Punu mask: Invocation of forest spirits
A beautiful Punu mask (Gabon).
Among the Punu, social cohesion was ensured by the okuyi society (generic term for the mask, called mukudji, white, among the Punu and Eshira). Its essential role was to subdue the evil spirits of the forest. The role of the mukudj ritual dance was to invoke a spirit from the beyond, who had returned from the world of the dead to that of the living, represented in the guise of a "beautiful young woman" with an ideal face. In the mid-twentieth century, the okuyi was gradually transformed from a social regulator or vigilante into a community entertainment event. Numerous authentic masks were produced up until the second half of the 20th century.
H. 31.5cm.
Automatically translated by DeepL. The original version is the only legally valid version. To see the original version, switch to the French language.
