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112 - FANG Mvè Fang mask.
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
FANG Mvè Fang mask. 20th century. Height: 30 cm. Light wood with traces of white kaolin patina on the inside of the face. Sawtooth-shaped incisions run across the upper forehead. Beneath the eyes, a grid pattern is carved (comprising three rows and five columns – what is its significance?). The mask is surrounded by holes for attaching the raffia used for camouflage. Provenance: Pierre Redouin Collection. Bibliography: Published in *Le Souffle des Esprits*, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Pierre & Hadrien Redouin, 2012, p. 85. Description: This mask evokes the head of an antelope, particularly in the lower part of the face. The red antelope appears to have been a tribal totem of the Fang people of northern Gabon. The white kaolin on the face, particularly around the eyes, reflects the origin of the spirit embodied by the mask and its vision of the afterlife. A zigzag pattern characteristic of Fang symbolism (see Tessman) can be seen across the upper forehead. In the centre of the forehead, three vertical lines recall the scarifications made on young people following their initiation.
See original version (French)
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About the sale The Breath of the Spirits: The Collection of Pierre Redouin and Others
Auction location
Auction time 09/24/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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