Lot 456 RAEE FANK MASK

Kaolin, pigments, pokerwork. There are several Fang masks in the AHDRC database of African Art which share characteristics with this one. There is one very similar, AHDRC 0050926, which is in the collection of Museum Dapper, Paris. Our mask however is the better one. The Dapper mask is listed as Vili, from Gabon, but the treatment of the eyes and nose makes this unlikely. The lower end of the Dapper mask is obscured by a plant fiber beard, in our mask there is a concave end which makes an attribution to Fang more likely, as do eyes and nose. There is considerable idiosyncrasy in Fang masks, making it sometimes difficult to assign a specific cultural function to a specific type of mask, as is the case here. Very rare and impressive mask. Old French collection. Height 37 cm.