BarakatGallery · Marrakech

Punu White-Faced Ancestral Mask (Mukuyi)

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Punu White-Faced Ancestral Mask (Mukuyi)

Punu · Traditional ethnographic period, mid-20th century

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Details

Details
Dimensions	Height 30 cm (11¾ in)
Country	Gabon
Tribe / Culture	Punu
Age / Period	Traditional ethnographic period, mid-20th century

Symbolism & Iconography

Associated with ancestral spirits, idealized female beauty, and moral purity, traditionally performed during funerary rites and community celebrations

Aesthetic & Formal Analysis

Characterized by a serene, downcast expression, arched eyebrows, geometric scarification marks on the cheeks, a weathered white kaolin finish revealing the dark wood underneath, and a distinctive high tripartite coiffure

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