Galoa mask, Gabon Wood, raffia and pigments H.... Lot 52

Galoa mask, Gabon Wood, raffia and pigments H. 56 cm Provenance : Merton D. Simpson, New York, USA Estelle and Alvin Abrams Collection, New York, USA Robert and Nancy Nooter Collection, Washington D.C., United States Private collection, New York, United States Settled downstream from Lambaréné on the lower reaches of the Ogoué, the Galoa, or Galwas, are part of the Myènè group. Although Galoa masks are rare, the most famous from this restricted corpus are those belonging to the Okukwé Society. Flat and oval in shape, they feature identifiable painted decoration, half-closed eyes, a straight nose and perfect symmetry in their construction. This type of mask had a judicial character, with the power to identify wrongdoers. According to Louis Perrois (in Art ancestral du Gabon), the dance of the mask in a village was of paramount importance, as it brought to light the misdeeds of others. As a vigilante, it challenged the culprits and re-established order and social balance within the community. As Christiane Falgayrettes-Leveau reveals (Gabon, présence des esprits, Musée Dapper, p.39), this type of mask is "not very diversified" and its "face is surrounded by a mass of raffia..." is extremely rare. Over time, this example has exceptionally preserved its rich raffia ornamentation, all around the face, highlighting the powerful red and black bichromy, dividing and splitting the gently rounded face into two parts. The hollowed eye rims intensify the serenity of the closed eyes, whose eyelids are sculpted in relief.