Lot A41 - Punu mask (Ikwara)

Punu (Pounou) mask, Ikwara type (attributed)

Gabon

Wood, pigment. Height: 28 cm.

Carved with a serene female face featuring narrow, half-closed eyes, delicately arched brows, a slender nose, and softly modeled lips with red pigment. Scarification marks appear on the forehead and temples. The coiffure rises in a high, elaborate crest with fine incised striations.

Unlike the kaolin-whitened Okuyi masks, this example presents a darker, brown-black surface with limited white pigment, consistent with Ikwara-type masks. The surface shows natural wear and developed patina. The reverse is hollowed and retains fiber cord attachments.

Condition: good overall, with age-related surface wear and minor abrasions.