Fang Mask Ngil Society Gabon

The Fang face mask, displaying wear both on its surface and interior, signifies its age and extensive use. It is crafted from wood, covered with a layer of soft white clay that is called Kaolinite. The white color of these masks is associated with things like the spirits of ancestors, death, and male virility or manhood. Often strips of raffia, which are pieces of fiber from the raffia palm, are attached to the mask, though not in this case.

Masks of this elongated type were worn by members of the powerful religious and judiciary secret society known as the Ngil, which was widespread among the Northern Fang. The society’s name means “gorilla,” and the masks' arched eyebrows and broad, rounded foreheads may be meant to model the face of a gorilla. Ngil members acted as police and judges, revealing sorcerers and handing down sentences to those who did not obey the law. The society and these masks were eventually prohibited by French colonial authorities in 1910 due to their role in social control, which is slightly more than paradoxical.

Despite their limited numbers, the refined forms and abstractions of Ngil masks captivated early modern European artistic sensibilities, serving as inspiration for sculptors and painters. The white color of the mask not only accentuates its pure forms but also marks its spiritual significance within Fang culture.

The stand is not included.