A small wooden mask, 31 cm high, from the Tsogho of Gabon. The collection lists it as a death mask and dates it to the first half of the 20th century.

1. Form and Carving

The face is long and tapers from a domed forehead to a narrow, pointed chin. Two broad ovals with raised rims dominate the upper face. Each frames a red-painted field with a narrow slit for the eye, and the two rims meet at the root of the small, flat nose. Below, the mouth is set in a heavy oval frame that projects from the face, and inside it two rows of carved teeth are visible. A thin flat edge runs along the sides of the face.

2. Surface

White pigment covers most of the face. It has worn unevenly, so that the warm tones of the wood show through on the forehead, cheeks and chin. The rims around the eyes and mouth are darker, with a dry, rough surface. The red inside the eye fields is the strongest colour on the mask.

Summary

A compact white-faced mask with red eye fields and a toothed mouth, from the Tsogho of Gabon.