Dimensions: H:25.6" W:8.7" L:5.5" Weight: 1.5 lbs.
Fang Ngil Mask by Fang people of Gabon - Members of Gabon's prominent religious and judicial secret society, the Ngil, of the Fang people, wore these masks during rituals that included dramatic dances depicting a scary creature. These masks are carved from wood and covered with kaolin. Members of the Ngil acted as social enforcers, exposing sorcerers and punishing those who disobeyed the law. Members of the Ngil acted as social enforcers, exposing sorcerers and punishing those who disobeyed the law.
About the Tribe
The Fang tribe also spelled Fãn is a Bantu-speaking ethnic group living in the forests south of the Sanaga River at the southernmost tip of Cameroon, the mainland of Equatorial Guinea, and the forests south of the Ogooué River estuary in northern Gabon. They often retain the bones and skulls of their ancestors because they believe that these skeletal remains are still in power. This power is extremely powerful in the tribe's daily activities and important moments such as initiation rites, or in cases of conflict or death, or for advice on more mundane matters such as hunting or fishing. The Fang referred to this practice as bieri, and they usually kept only male ancestor relics in the bark containers.