White okuyi mask - Lot 56

White okuyi mask Tsangui culture, southern Gabon Cheese tree wood, original polychromy H. 28 cm Provenance: Mathias Komor, New York City - Mathias Komor, New York City - Nancy and Myron Mayer Collection, New York City, acquired 1973 - Galerie Alain de Monbrison - Private collection, Paris Bibliography: - Charlotte Grand-Dufay, Lumbu, a sacred art, 2016 In southern Gabon, dances involving white masks were used to invoke a spirit from the world of the dead and reincarnate it in the guise of a beautiful young girl with an idealized face, in order to protect the community. These masks were also used in mourning ceremonies. The mask worn by Mathias Komor, an American merchant of legendary taste, is typical of the tsangui style, a close relative of the punu. Its eyes are framed by a network of characteristic scarification marks. It is sculpted with elegance and virtuosity, and its material bears witness to its considerable age.