Punu-Tsengi mask - Lot 109

Punu-Tsengi mask Gabon / Congo Wood and pigments. H. 30 cm Among the classic white masks attributed to Punu and related groups, those like the one shown here, feature an inverted T-shaped forehead scarification highlighted with padouk red, and another crossing the face from side to side at nose level, as well as a hairstyle hairstyle with a strong central shell, originate from the border zone between present-day Gabon and Congo, and are generally attributed to the Nzebi and Tsengi. Representing the deceased, and especially females, young women or widows of chiefs, they appeared carried by dancers on stilts during mourning rituals. Provenance : - Jean-Pierre Laprugne Collection (Paris) - Christie's sale (Paris) April 4, 2017 - Acquired at this sale by its current owners.