Gabon Punu Ancestor Female Figure on Custom Stand

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On offer is a Punu ancestor female figure presented on a custom stand circa first half of 20th century. Statue … Read more On offer is a Punu ancestor female figure presented on a custom stand circa first half of 20th century. Statue of full Punu figure like this is relatively scarce and the patina on this piece suggests that it was likely used in the native context instead of made for the tourist market.
The figure is characterized by a bold stance with slightly bent knees with hands rested alongside the swollen belly under the exposed cone-shape breasts. The crest coiffure frames an iconic face idealized for the feminine beauty in Punu Society. White chalky pigment was used to highlight the facial features sacrificial marks were carved into the face as well as the front of her body. On the back of her body, there retained the elements of a couple of old rusted nails. These were embedded in the body, possibly as a power symbol.
Examining the condition of the piece, there is a pervasive patina that appears to be genuinely incurred in its life. The surface has a greasy oil finish. One of her legs was broken off historically. There are deep gouges or wood losses on her remaining leg, lower back and behind as well as on top of her coiffure.
Provenance; Found in an estate of African Art collection in Houston Texas 15 year ago and since in an American collection.

The Punu people historically migrated from the Fang people and settled in the equatorial forests of southern Gabon. Their material and spiritual culture shows strong connections to the Fang and Kota peoples, particularly in their religious and ancestral rituals. Like the more widely known white pigmented Female Punu masks, the relatively rare full body female ancestral figures were worshipped and revered for their spiritual power to guide the living, although their presence was much less understood by the outside world. See less