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a close up of a wooden mask on a stand on a gray surfacea close up of a sculpture of a head on a standa close up of a piece of metal with rust on it
MILLON

186 - Dance mask featuring a face with a cheerful expression, wide…
See original version (French)

Estimate €400 - €600
Sale commission
Description
Dance mask featuring a face with a cheerful expression, wide-open eyes and a clear forehead. It wears a false beard on the chin, a headdress shaped like a semicircle, and hair marked by deep, regular grooves. Wood weathered in places, with an old brown patina and traces of white pigment remaining in the eyes and mouth. Bamiléké, Cameroon 30 x 22 cm Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Françoise and Jean-Philippe Billarant; now in the Liliane and Michel Durand-Dessert Collection. This mask is associated with the Kouh ghan (or Koungang) secret society, a mystical institution of the Bamiléké people of western Cameroon. This society plays a central role in major ceremonies such as the enthronement of kings. These dances are characterised by specific steps learnt during initiation into the secret society. They are also associated with supernatural phenomena, such as the accelerated growth of a banana tree during the ceremony.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Journey Across the Continents (sale without live performance)
Auction location
Auction time 09/10/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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