Fang Huge Ngil society Mask , Gabon SUPERB Start Price USD 790.00 Current Price USD 790.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, October 01, 2008 End Time Saturday, October 11, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Fang Huge Ngil society Mask , Gabon SUPERB' Description Fang Huge Ngil society Mask Type of Object: Mask Ethnic Group: Fang Country of Origin: Gabon Materials: Wood, pigment, raffia fibers Approximate Age: Mid 20th century Dimensions: 28 inches Overall Condition: Good Damage, Repair: General wear Additional Information: Huge Ngil mask with a long and elegant nose.The Fang are a huge culture which migrated into parts of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon as early as the 18th Century. They were a ferocious bunch, moving north and conquering peoples along the way. Although formal warfare seems to be a thing of the past, the rivalries among the numerous sub-groups exist even today. These conflicts helped give rise to artistic sub-styles, mostly in statuary. The masks of the Fang, on the other hand, are more homogenous. There are two major categories of masks, the large "ngongtang" helmet masks and the famous "Ngil" society white-faced masks. The Ngil was a secret society used during the initiation of young boys and also for the purpose of symbolic "law enforcement." Masquerading "ngil" dancers, clad in raffia costumes and trailed by "helpers," would appear at night illuminated by the flickering light of fires. YOU WON'T MISS THIS ONE!Further Reading:Binet, J. Societes de danse chez les Fang, (Paris, 1972)Fernandez, J. 'La statuaire Fang-Gabon', African Arts, 8, No.1, 1974.Fernandez, J. W. and R. L. 'Fang Reliquary Art: Its Quantities and Qualities.'Cahiers d'etudes africaines, 15, No. 5. (1975)Perrois, L. Statuaire fang, (Paris, 1972)Perrois, L. Sculpture traditionelle du Gabon, (Paris, 1977)Perrois, L. 'Arts du Gabon, Les arts plastiques du Bassin de l'Ogoue', Arts d'Afrique Noire. 1979; Perrois, L. Arts ancestral du Gabon dans les collections du Musee Barbier-Mueller, (Geneva, 1985)Phillips, T, (ed.) Africa, The Art of a Continent, (Munich, 1995)Roy, C. Art and Life in Africa, (Iowa City, 1992)Schmalenbach, W. African Art from the Barbier-Mueller Collection, (Geneva,1988)Tessmann, G. Die Pangwe, (Berlin and New York, 1913(1972)  **029296** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!