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Aduma mask
Gabon
Aduma, Nzebi or neighboring cultures
Early 20th century
Carved wood and pigments
Height: 36 cm – 14 ¼ in.
Provenance
Ex collection Jacques Viault, France
Sold
This mask represents a spirit of the bush and acted as an intermediary with the spirit world.
This type of mask was used during initiation ceremonies and for ritual gatherings among the Adouma people and more broadly in central Gabon during the Mvudi ceremony (and sometimes also for Bwiti rituals). This mask was not intended to be seen up close by women or children. The dancer wearing this mask would appear at dusk or dawn, emerging from the mist of the mountains.
This type of mask is also found among the Fang (under the name "Bikereu").
Such masks appeared in pioneering collections in Europe as early as the beginning of the 20th century, particularly among artists like Georges Braque, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck.
This type of mask was used during initiation ceremonies and for ritual gatherings among the Adouma people and more broadly in central Gabon during the Mvudi ceremony (and sometimes also for Bwiti rituals). This mask was not intended to be seen up close by women or children. The dancer wearing this mask would appear at dusk or dawn, emerging from the mist of the mountains.
This type of mask is also found among the Fang (under the name "Bikereu").
Such masks appeared in pioneering collections in Europe as early as the beginning of the 20th century, particularly among artists like Georges Braque, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck.
Publication
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