Hand Carved Punu Lumbo Mask W/ Horns 17. 5 " On Custom Mount - Gabon - African Art
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:37683 | Tribe: Punu |
| Provenance: Ownership History Not Available | Material: Wood |
Type of Object Mask and custom mount Country of Origin Gabon Ethnicity Punu or Lumbo Materials Wood, pigment Approximate Age Unknown Height (Inches) 17.5” without stand18" with stand Width (Inches) 8” Depth (Inches) 5” without stand6" with stand Weight (Pounds) 1.5lbs without stand2lbs with stand Overall Condition Good with minor imperfections – see photos. About Punu-Lumbo MasksA Punu-Lumbomask is a tribal mask native to... the Ogooué River basin in Gabon, especially inthe south in Ngounié Province. Ancient examples are extremely valuable tocollectors of African art, and have been sold at Sotheby's for well over $400, 000.The earliest known example, collected in 1867, is part of the Pitt RiversMuseum collection at the University of Oxford. Several other museums, such asthe National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. are in possession ofone. They have been featured in the African Negro Art show at the Museum ofModern Art in New York City (1935) and at the Museum voor Volkenkunde, inRotterdam (1953). The masks were popular among European collectors during the1920s and 1930s.About the Punu People“The Punureside on the left bank of the Upper Ngoume River and belong to a group oftribes known as Shira which were originally part of the Luango kingdom ofAngola with the Eshira, the Lumbo, the Vili, the Galoa and the Vungu people, the Punu migrated northwards during the 18th century and settled where they arenow. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families andsocial cohesion is ensured by a society known as Moukouji, whose primary roleis to subjugate harmful forest spirits. During ceremonies related to thesociety, small statues and masks appear which are often covered in whitepigments alluding to their anti-witchcraft functions.Punu masksare thought to represent ancestors’ faces. They are worn during funerals and bya Moukouji initiate who stands on stilts. The masks have realistic, usuallywhite, faces with protruding eyes incised with a curve, high-domed foreheadsand characteristic rigid high coiffures which reflects the Punu women’shairstyles.”Source:Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc.1998. Print.DaveDahl—CEO Discover African Art Keywords:Punu, Gabon, Galoa, Lumbo, Mitsogho, Vuvi, Ambete, Upper Ngoume River, MaskID# 1000501
