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Formerly attributed to the Mpongwe People as Ghost Mask of a Woman; Early 20th Century
(Recent scholarship has brought its attribution into question. It is now attributed to the Punu people in central Gabon.) Gift of Gabrielle P. Hubbard in Memory of William L. Parker and Sarah Harrison Parker and J. W. Hubbard, Jr.
Questions you may have about the Okuyi Mask...
Close inspection of this mask from Gabon in Central Africa and its identifying label raises many questions. How would this mask have been used? Does the mask have symbolic meaning? Who are the Mpongwe? Was the mask exclusively made and used by the Punu or Mpongwe people? By what means did this kind of mask leave Gabon? Are there masks from other countries that resemble this mask? Is the mask old?
Looking at the Mask...
You will first notice the natural light wood gradually appearing through the white pigment that once covered the face of the mask. The peaked hairstyle consists of horizontal and vertical lines, leading your eyes to the small semicircular ears. Sixteen marks of scarification or superficial wounds rest above the arched eyebrows. The tightly closed eyes would be challenge to see out of. The triangular nose and heart-shaped closed mouth appear small. The outline of the mask is round/heart-like. A ridge or lip is seen around the edge of the mask indicating it was made to cover the face. What other details do you see?
In African tradition, key moments in life are recognized and celebrated. Some of those moments include birth, the transition from adolescence to adulthood, marriage, and death. Even though death has a certain sadness, it is an important transition. As birth is the doorway into life, death is a pathway leading one closer to the ancestral spirits.
How would this mask have been used?
Take a moment and look at the mask. If it were worn during a key moment in life, which one would you select? This mask would have been worn by an adult male dancer in connection with the celebration of ones' life. The celebration would have occurred prior to a funeral ceremony, acknowledging the transition. During the early hours of dawn or late hours of dusk, the dancer would appear. With the mask covering his face, the dancer would be dressed in a woven raffia or cotton costume. The costume hung from his neck to his feet, completely covering the dancer's body. Balancing on stilts measuring more than ten feet tall, he strutted, danced, and performed acrobatic skills. His performance would have led him through the town. Usually, the leader of the town was responsible for the chants sung during the celebration. The leader was also responsible for identifying the particular ancestor spirit the mask portrayed. In this case, this mask represents the spirit of a dead maiden from the chief women's society.
Does the mask have symbolic meaning?
Think for a moment, what the color of the mask would represent? Universally, white has a connection with the "other world" representing its function as a mediator of ancestor's spirits. In many Africans cultures, there is a belief that a spirit is supposed to remain active; therefore, the concept of scariness does not exist. The color white also indicates death. The female face is kaolin white. Kaolin is perceived as a substance of power. Scarification or superficial wounds, seen between the eyebrows and near the ear, are indicators of beauty, social class/status, and people/group identification. Once painted, the lips would have been red; this represents a resistance to evil spirits. The elaborate hairstyle, constructed with an armature, denotes femininity. A natural material, like wood, would have been used as the support structure of the armature. In comparison, the mask is considerably smaller than its costume. The time of day, volume of the costume, height of the stilts, and the small white face of the mask are factors in creating a sense of mystery. In very little natural light, a white masked dancer parading and dancing on stilts would "create" a visual representation of a spirit.
Was the mask exclusively made and used by the Punu or Mpongwe people?
No, the Mpongwe are not the exclusive users and makers of this mask. Due to the nomadic characteristics and similar stylized features of the Gabonese, there are discrepancies in crediting a singular group and social class as the sole creator. The Mpongwe are one of five groups cited, including the Ashira, Lumba, Punu, and Ashango. Named the Ghost Mask of a Woman, it is also referred to as Okuyi, Mukudji, and Mukuyi. Regardless of its maker or name, this mask and others like it have maintained certain aesthetic qualities: round/heart-shaped face, peaked and sectioned hairstyle, "split-coffeebean" eyes, scarification, arched eyebrows, tightly closed mouth, and a white face. In African tradition, a male carver would have created the mask. Upon receiving guidance from the ancestors, a singular soft, light colored wood was chosen and used.
| The Mpongwe traveled and settled in Gabon, formerly French Equatorial Africa, about seven hundred and fifty years ago. Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu ethnic group, speaking the Bantu language. Over the last eight hundred years, Bantu people have migrated from southern and central Africa to find new land or escape foes. The Mpongwe, only four thousand in number, are a very small group in a country of one million people. The Banpounou, Fang, Mbede, Myene, Nzeubj, and Punu are the six major tribal groups, with the Mpongwe making up less then five percent of the Myene. |  |
By what means did this kind of mask leave Gabon?
When a ritual object is damaged or no longer used, it must be destroyed, buried, used for another purpose, or sold to a collector or tourist. In the 1920s and 1930s, this kind of mask became a popular item for European collectors. Gathered throughout the Ogowe River region, these masks were sent to port, sold, and sometimes shipped without specific background information.
Are there masks from other countries that resemble this mask?
 |
Yes, Europeans collected this kind of African mask because it resembled the stylized eyes of the Japanese No Mask, as pictured on the left. Although there is not a direct link between the "split-coffeebean" eyes of these two masks, particular No Masks were used in roles portraying the supernatural and women. Known as morality plays, No theatre produced dramas that covered the facial expressions of an actor with masks of moods: anger, sadness, joy, jealousy, etc. Thematic issues of aristocracy and religion were used. From the Buddhist influence of the 1300s, the educated upper-class were entertained by this theatrical venture. |
Is the mask old?
This mask was probably made in the early 20th century. Most African masks that are made of wood are usually not very old because of the fragile nature of the material. However, the form of the mask probably follows traditional patterns used generations and generations ago.
-- - Channon M. Humphrey
RESOURCES
Meyer, Laure. Black Africa-Masks, Sculpture and Jewelry. Paris: Terrail, 1992.
Paine, Robert Treat and Alexander Soper. The Art and Architecture of Japan. New York: Pelican Books, 1981.
Sadler, Michael. Arts of West Africa. London: Oxford Press, 1935.
Segy, Ladislas. African Sculpture Speaks. New York: Lawrence Hill & Co., 1955.
Wardell, Allen. African Sculpture From the University Museum of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1986.
WEB RESOURCES
www.middlebury.edu/~atherton/AR325/masking/gabon_mask.asp
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