Fang-Ntumu Mask, Rio Muni River Region, Equatorial Guinea

Reportedly collected in the Rio Muni River Region of Equatorial Guinea, 1930s-40s
Private French Collection, acquired in the early 1970s in Cameroon

Good condition for an object of this age and rare type. Minor marks, scratches, abrasions, and small chips consistent with age and use. Minor scattered worm holes. Old chips around eyes. Crack to proper left side of mask running from top left through hole for attachment to proper left side of eyes, and branching into two cracks terminating in the bottom below chin, glued and not easily visible from the front. Loss below fiber attachment to bottom of "bib" as seen in catalogue photographs. Fine aged patina with kaolin and black pigment. Some insect casings in crevices.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A Fang-Ntumu asu-nkukh Mask

This wood face mask is a characteristic example of the Fang style of Equatorial Africa.  It was acquired in southern Cameroon circa 1970, where it belonged to an elderly person who had brought it from the neighboring Rio Muni (now continental Equatorial Guinea), home of the Fang-Ntumu people.  At first it is tempting to identify it as a ngil mask; however the shape of the face, the long, slender nose, the relatively small size, and especially the atypical elongated design of the face with a flanged backing behind lead to the conclusion that this is in fact a different type of mask, probably an asu-nkukh (also called asu-ñgyel, translated as “the dancer’s face hidden”) or a nlo-ngôntang (translated as “the face of the white woman”).

We know that the ngil masks of the 19^th century were larger than the present mask, measuring around 60-80 cm; for example the mask in the Denver Art Museum (inv. no. “1942-443”), collected in 1890, or the one in the Ethnologisches Museum, Berlin (inv. no. “C III 6000”), collected in 1895 (see Perrois 2008: 96).  The village militias related to ngil had been banned since the early 20^th century (1910-1920), because of abuses perpetrated under the pretext of combatting witchcraft, which in reality was an excuse to plunder villages.  Large ngil masks thus disappeared during this period, but were quickly replaced by other mask types, more or less of the same graphic inspiration, including the asu-nkukh or asu-ñgyel mask, the nlo-ngôntang, and others such as the ndéneyoñ and mfulenkakh.  These masks performed similar functions of anti-witchcraft and social control, but without excessive violence.

The present mask is an example of this type.  A number of examples are known in the collections of ethnographic museums, such as those in Barcelona and Madrid which were collected in Spanish Guinea during the 1940s by the Spanish ethnologist A. Panyella (see Sierra Delage M., 1980).  Additionally, Reverend Fernand Grébert observed and illustrated examples among the Ogooué Fang in Gabon in the 1920s.  At almost the same time, in the early 1930s, the French forester J.-M. Pitres collected several in a number of villages of the same region (see Hôtel Drouot, Paris, October 23, 1968, lots 33 and 36).  These masks range in quality from mediocre examples, which are nonetheless authentic and functional, to those which reach a highly refined sculptural quality, as does the present mask.

This mask displays a long, narrow face, with a thin elongated nose and a mouth with thin lips situated on the chin and shaded black.  Just above the mouth there is a sort of painted mustache; this element is found on the “moon” masks of the type of the famous Vlaminck mask from the early 20^th century, and likewise on many bikeghe and ekekek masks of the 1930s-40s, which expressionistically evoke a European face.  Under the simplified forehead, surmounted by a cap of black pigment (traces of which remain), the face is divided into two rounded contours, highlighted by arched, black-painted eyebrows.  Below are large, almond-shaped eyes in shallow relief, pierced.  The face is rendered in high relief with a collar or “jabot” form as a backdrop, the bottom of which is decorated with a small knotted fiber beard.  On the reverse, we observe that the top of the mask is horizontal, like the majority of Gabonese masks, and the eye openings are properly placed for the dancer’s use during the dance.  The light-weight wood bears an oxidized surface, with traces of insect casings.  The front of the mask, originally coated with kaolin, has yellowed over time, and the present condition indicates the mask’s age and a long period of use.

Based upon its provenance and physical appearance, as well as comparison with similar known examples, the date of the present mask can be estimated to the 1930s-40s.

Dr. Louis Perrois
March 2013