Superb mask made of wood, pigment and kaolin, with scarifications typical of the ethnic Punu Sangui (or Tsangui) of the Republic of Congo

Height: 28 cm, width: 19 cm

The Punu people

The Punu (Pounou), who live in Gabon and the Republic of Congo, have produced masks that are among the most appreciated by collectors, especially for their remarkable aesthetics. Read more here

The Punu (or Pounou) masks

The Punu masks, embodiment of the soul of a dead person, are worn during funerals and religious festivals by initiates who dance perched on stilts covered with a raffia costume...

The Punu mask also symbolized the beauty canons of the Punu women, represented in particular by the characteristic chignon of the ethnic group

The Punu Sangui mask

The masks of the Sangui (Tsangui) subgroup, located in the south of the Republic of Congo, carry typical sacrifices on the forehead and face.