Bordering on Cameroon and Gabon, the Bulu are part of the larger Fang group and share cultural similarities.
UNIQUE? Yes, because the Bulu practice the ngi ritual . . . where members wear this “gorilla” mask to ward off sorcery and poisonings. This anti-witchcraft society whose leadership is given to the strongest and most virile man . . . given the powers of life and death . . . whose ceremony “could” be open to violence. The leader – nom ngi – along with his assistants would roam the village carrying machetes looking for members who might be subject to evil cult influences. Many hide.
This mask is typical with a geometric face and colored in black and white.
I love these simple masks that are full of history and tradition.
Circa mid-1900s. Wood, binding, kaolin pigment. Sorry, the stand is not included. 11″ tall x 8″ at widest point, 6″ deep.