Antique Punu Mask, Gabon

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Antique Punu Mask, Gabon

Among iconic works of African art, the Punu masks are one of the most desirable. Since … Read more Antique Punu Mask, Gabon

Among iconic works of African art, the Punu masks are one of the most desirable. Since the beginning of the beginning of the 20th century, collectors, dealers and artists were fascinated by their powerful symbolism. These masks were worn by dancers standing on high stilts during funerary ceremonies called mukudja. Referring to a young woman's spirit, the white face, covered with kaolin, symbolized reincarnation.

The white, mineral-coated masks from Gabon were well-known in Paris at that time. Picasso had a Punu mask, which may well have been one of his first acquisitions of African art. Photos exist as early as 1910 depicting it in his studio, and there is a photo of Frank Burty Haviland with the mask in the background on the wall of his studio on Boulevard de Clichy (1911-12)

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