An Impressive Fang Ngil Mask

Gabon, 19th century, carved wood with applied kaolin.

23 1/2 x 11 x 7 in.

From the Collection of the late Robert and Judith Weston, Detroit, Michigan

This mask with its elongated form and stylized features, was used in the Ngil (gorilla) secret society. Used during society ceremonies, the kaolin painted mask reflects the symbolic attribution the Fang people gave to the color white: ancestral spirits, death, and male virility. The use of the mask declined upon the French colonial government's ban of the society in 1910.

Areas of loss and insect damage visible mainly to posterior; scattered surface marks to whole.