• 4-Continents
  • 2012
  • EXPO
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Americas
  • Europe
  • Making Of
  • Team
  • Info
  • DE | EN
    01 - JAN
    02 - FEB
    03 - MAR
    04 - APR
    05 - MAY
    06 - JUN
    07 - JUL
    08 - AUG
    09 - SEP
    10 - OCT
    11 - NOV
    12 - DEC
 

Helmet mask with 4 faces (FANG)

unknown Master of FANG
Gabon / or / Equatorial Guinea
Bronze, H 34 cm / 13.4 in.
Prov.: Collection Karl William Heiss, coll. 2007

 

 

     Multiple-faced forms of these 'ngontang' masks  may have two, four, five or six faces. They were worn in rituals of the Fang to praise the ancestors or to detect wrong-doers. Today they are primarily displayed on festive occasions. The most dominant pattern besides the narrow eye-slits is the incised arc or line on the forehead and nose.

 

     Raffia fibres were originally inserted in the holes at the lower edge to form a sort of ruff.

 
DATENSCHUTZ