Kwele Mask Ekuk Gabon African Art

Description

Title
Kwele Mask Ekuk Gabon African Art
Type of Object
Mask
Country of Origin
Gabon, Republic of Congo
People
Kwele
Materials
Wood, paint
Approximate Age
20th Century
Height (in)
24
Width (in)
10
Depth (in)
5
Other Dimensions
Height: 24 Inches
Width: 10 Inches
Depth: 5 Inches
Overall Condition
Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Additional Information:
Masks such as this were rarely worn. They were kept hanging in the house. When worn, their function was to "warm up" the village atmosphere in order to activate the beneficial forces from the Bwete containers. There are two primary masks used by Beete dancers, one resembling an antelope (Ekuk) and the other a gorilla (Gon). The present mask belongs to the category of famous, heart-shaped "ekuk" masks representing the peaceful spirits which might be encountered during the hunt, as opposed to the "gon," which symbolizes danger.
The elegance, striking color contrast (white and black), and pleasing symmetry of the "ekuk" has attracted a devoted following with collectors, though the deeper meaning surrounding its use is elusive.This one is nicely caved and very decorative.
The Kwele live in the northeastern of Gabon and the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). They have produced varieties of mask used in the initiation ceremonies into the Bwete cult.The Bwete Society has social control over most activities of the Kwele, a small patrilineal group living to the east of the Fang and Kota, in the dense forests of inland Gabon.
Recommended Reading:
Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, TRIBAL ARTS OF AFRICA
Louis Perrois, ART OF THE KWELE OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA
**129474**
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