African Arts Gallery

Rituals of justice and African Fang masks.
A rib borders the eye sockets in the heart of this mask, extending to the rectangular, toothed mouth. The eyelids are hatched, accentuating the severity of the features.
Native restoration at the top using aluminum foil.

Dense wood, abraded dry patina. Desiccation cracks, erosions.
The appearance of these masks coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fear. This type of mask was used by ngil male society in northwest Gabon, southern Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. This secret society was responsible for initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. The wearers of these ...

The African art relating to the Byeri cult is illustrated by various anthropomorphic sculptures acting as "guardians" and incarnating the ancestor.
This male figure has a pouting mouth revealing filed teeth. Under clasped hands, the umbilical outgrowth refers to the lineage. Semi-matte black patina, missing. The boxes containing the relics of illustrious ancestors were kept by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". Topped by a statue or a head that acted as guardian of the "byeri" boxes, they were stored in a dark corner of the box, supposed to deflect evil influences. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to "So" society. During the holidays, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried in parade.

The ...

African art and funeral rites
A large head with the concave face characteristic of the Betsi style, with cabochon pupils, is topped with braids accessorized with metallic bells. Restorations were carried out using resin and metal staples. Mate crusty patina.
Fach the Fangs of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a Byeri, or reliquary box, in which the bones of ancestors are preserved. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the esa. The reliquary boxes were surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as the guardian of the 'byeri' boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the box, and were intended to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to society. So, so. The term Angokh means ...

Pahouins' artistic productions in African art of Gabon Door and its frame, with a large handle, carved with friezes with faces and figures of ancestors reminiscent of the formal appearance of the reliquary heads of Byeri. These symbolic motives have the value of protection, the deceased being for the Fang peoples, to control the occult powers. Wood dowels fix the panels. The back of the door is equipped with a horizontal bar. The people known as Fang, or "Pahouins", described as conquering warriors, have invaded by successive leaps, from villages to villages, all the way between Sanaga in Cameroon and Ogooue in Gabon, between the eighteenth and the beginning of the 20th century. They never had political unity. Clan cohesion has been maintained through religious and judicial associations ...

Covered with braids gathered in three top shells, the horizontal lips forming a wide pout, this reliquary figure displays the characteristics of the Ntumu style from the regions between Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Matt oily patina, eroded areas. Lacks in the feet.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of the ancestors are kept. These boxes were kept by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". The reliquary boxes were surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as a guardian of the "byeri" boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the box, and were meant to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to the "So" society. During ...

A prognathic jaw emphasizing a large pout, stocky and rounded limbs evoking the morphology of the newborn, this African sculpture illustrates the Ntumu style statuary of the regions between Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Shiny black patina, eroded areas.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of the ancestors are kept. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". The reliquary boxes were surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as a guardian of the "byeri" boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the hut, and were intended to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to the "So" society. During the ...

This anthropomorphic sculpture forms the incarnation of a female ancestor. Carried by powerful half-bent legs whose modeling contrasts with a reduced chest, it offers in addition a large head encrusted with exorbitant metallic pupils. Bright patina, erosions.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and in Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of ancestors are kept. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa." The reliquary boxes were surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as a guardian of the "byeri" boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the hut, and were intended to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to the "So" society. During the ...

Intended to unmask wizards, this white kaolin mask, sculpted on the eve of ceremonies, reflects the desire to intimidate the occult powers. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, he also intervened during initiations out of the sight of laymen. Velvety mat patina. Erosions and cracks.
The appearance of these masks generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fear. This type of mask was used by the ngil male society which no longer exists today. This secret society was responsible for initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. Guarantor of peace, he also fixed the seasons, the location where the villages were to be ...

Ex-collection of French African art.
Rituals of justice and African masks Fang. The facial features of this fang mask are underlined up to the gaping, toothed mouth of the lateral extension of a thick fringe of eyebrows. The eyelids coated in red ochre are bordered with perforations for vision, while a significant relief forms the nose.
Dense wood, abraded dry patina. Cracks of desiccation, erosions.
The appearance of these masks coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fright. This type of mask was used by the male society ngil in the northwest of Gabon, in the south of Cameroon, and in Equatorial Guinea.  This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft.  The ngil was a ...

Intended to unmask sorcerers, this kaolin-bleached helmet mask, which was carved on the eve of ceremonies, reflects the desire to capture the mysteries of the night and to intimidate opposing forces. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, this type of mask was also used during initiations out of sight of the profane. Dull patina, erosions and missing pieces.
This type of mask was used by the Ngil male society which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft. The guarantor of peace, the ngil also fixed the seasons, the location where villages were to be established, and the conditions of exploitation of agricultural land.
The bearers of these masks, always in large numbers, made their ...

Traditional Pahouin sculptures in African art from Gabon
At the back of their huts, in a dark and often smoky nook, lineage leaders preciously stored their Byéri, the relic chests and tribal sculptures that "watched over them." The daily life of the Fang had three priorities: to perpetuate social identity, to subsist in a hostile natural environment, to dialogue with the dead to keep them away from the living. (Louis Perrois)
The bones of the deceased were kept in boxes surmounted by a sculpture supposed to watch over the relics, such as this male statue with a long bust contrasting with stocky limbs. The concave face displays a sulky pout characteristic of the Fang / Ntumu. The rear peduncle was used to put the piece in the basket. Smooth patina, erosion and cracks. ...

The remarkable Fang sculptors and blacksmiths in African art .

This helmet mask is topped with elements associated with traditional headdresses between which heads are carved, while faces alternate on the walls of the mask. Geometric patterns are hollowed out, arranged in plastrons under the faces. Abrasions and desiccation cracks.
This variant of Fang masks is known as Ngontang (or Ngontanga), "the figure of the white man's daughter" . Appearing in the 1920s, it represents the spirits of the dead visiting in the form of a young white woman from the afterlife and was used to locate witch doctors and those who abuse spiritual powers. These masks are now also brought out for celebrations, funerals, birthdays, and for important decisions in the village. It was also worn ...

It was during the initiation of young people among the Fang and Ntumu of southern Cameroon, during the ceremonies of the so or red antelope, that this anthropozoomorphic African mask with removable horns was exhibited. The gaze formed by two thin horizontal slits sheltered under a protruding forehead, the grimace of a prognathic mouth, the contrast of colors,did not fail, during the nocturnal appearances of the Fang mask, to provoke a certain emotion in the initiates. Erosions and xylophagous attacks now stopped. The Fang, formerly called Pahouin, are divided into several subsets in three countries, Cameroon, Gabon, and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. Mainly hunters, they also practice agriculture. Their social cohesion is based on the Ngil and So societies.The ngil was a ...

A variant of the Ngil mask, this Fang mask of justice, with its alternating curves, offers more softness than usual, thanks also to its nose of low relief, and a narrow incised mouth. The Fang, formerly called Pahouins, are divided into several subsets in three countries, Cameroon, Gabon, and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. Mainly hunters, they also practice agriculture. Their social cohesion is based on the Ngil and So societies.The ngil was a purifying fire rite symbolized by the gorilla. The bearers of these masks, always in large numbers, made their appearance at night, lit by torches . Their intervention was also linked to the judicial function by designating the culprits of bad deeds in the village.
Cracks of desiccation. Velvety matt patina, grainy.

The African art relating to the Byeri cult is illustrated by various anthropomorphic sculptures acting as "guardians" and incarnating the ancestor.
This asexual figure has a prognathic mouth revealing teeth. Under the joined hands, the tubular excrescence of the abdomen symbolizes the lineage. Black oily patina, locally grainy, cracks. The boxes containing the relics of illustrious ancestors were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". Surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as a guardian of the "byeri" boxes, they were stored in a dark corner of the hut, supposed to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to the "So" society. During festivals, the statues were separated from their ...

Ex-collection African tribal art French.
The fang masks, generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), intervened in the middle of the night, their appearance arousing fright. They were used by the male society ngil which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil consisted of a purifying fire rite symbolized by the gorilla. Two-tone matte and velvety patina. Abrasions.
The Fang, formerly called Pahouin, are divided into several subsets in three countries, Cameroon, Gabn, and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. Mainly hunters, they also practice agriculture. The wearers of these masks, always in large numbers, made their appearance at night, lit by torches. Their ...

The Fang of Cameroon and those of Gabon, like the Kota, make abundant use of metal in statuary.
Semi-flexed muscular legs, arms extended from the bust, hands resting on one side of the face, this male figure of ancestor of the Byeri, with a face embellished with metal. The light mahogany patina, oiled, is enhanced by the presence of slats and thread of hammered copper featuring traditional jewelry and scarfications. Lacks on the back of the headdress.
Every family has a Byeri, or reliquary box, in which the bones of ancestors are preserved. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the esa. The reliquary boxes were surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as the guardian of the 'byeri' boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the box, and were intended ...

Anthropozoomorphic representations in African art .
Embodying the spirit of a great ape, this statue embodies an orangutan. Imprisoned in a clay pile, abrus seeds and cowries form a decorative pattern. Crusty surface, red ochre highlights.
The Boulou, an ethnic group of the Fang, live in Cameroon, on the border of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo, on a vast plateau within the equatorial forest near the Bakwele, whose habits and customs are comparable. Like the Fang of southern Cameroon with their white masks of justice, the Boulou also used the Ngil ritual to counter witchcraft and poisoning. Future initiates, following their integration into the secret society, identify with the Ngi , fierce emblematic gorilla. The Ngil society, which carried out, among other ...

Spectacular elongation of the face for this Fang mask ending in a pout. The African Fang mask, sculpted on the eve of the ceremonies, was intended to unmask the sorcerers. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, it was also used during initiations out of sight of the profane. Granular surface coated with locally abraded kaolin. Intact raffia border.
The appearance of these masks, generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fright. This type of mask was used by the Ngil male society which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. As a guarantor of ...

Fang statues within African art linked to the cult of the Byeri. This anthropomorphic sculpture, intended to be placed in a reliquary basket by the posterior stalk, has a concave face with a prognathic jaw. The importance of the lineage is symbolized by the umbilical tenon and the sex. Two-tone shiny patina, cracks and old restoration on the pelvis.
The boxes containing the relics of illustrious ancestors were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". Surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as a guardian of the "byeri" boxes, they were stored in a dark corner of the hut, supposed to divert evil influences to someone else. Samples were also taken from the figures for therapeutic purposes. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked ...

African art and tribal masks related to justice
. A concave face surmounted by a flat cap with a reduced crest distinguishes this Fang mask. Grooves divide the upper forehead. Satin patina. Abrasions.
The appearance of these masks coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fright. This type of mask was used by the male ngil society, which no longer exists today. The ngil was a purifying fire rite symbolized by the gorilla.
Small accidents and abrasions, slight cracks.

The bearers of these masks , always in large numbers, made their appearance at night , lit by torches . Their intervention was also linked to the judicial function by designating the culprits of bad deeds within the ...