Double-face helmet mask
Gabon, Fang; pre-1915
Collected by James W. Fernandez, 1960, acc. 1961.
5-1786
As a student of Bascom at Northwestern, Fernandez obtained this mask as part of his research on Fang esthetics. Upon asking about carvers' practices and community art criticism, he found that this mask was greatly admired by his Fang consultants. Cached away, it was the oldest known mask associated with the dance of ngu. Performed for amusement, the dance was held in the evening to the accompaniment of drums. The double faces, which represent forest spirits, are an expression of the balanced dualisms of Fang art.
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