Punu Mask, Gabon

Guy Piazzini, Paris
Merton D. Simpson, New York
Pace Primitive, New York, acquired from the above
John Buxton, Dallas, acquired from the above
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired from the above on September 14, 1987

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, dents, abrasions, and small cracks consistent with age and use. Areas of shallow surface loss to proper right eyelids and fronts of two top lobes of the coiffure. Vertical hole pierced through top of coiffure. A vertical open age crack at the top of the rim on reverse extending into back of coiffure. Chipping to bottom edge of rim on reverse. Some minor worm holes. Remains of insect casings and mud wasp nest on reverse of mask. Fine aged surface with remains of red, black, and white pigments. The reverse inscribed with Merton D. Simpson Gallery inventory number "4158".
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.

The famous white masks of the Punu and Lumbo peoples were worn during the okuyi performance (LaGamma 1995 calles them mukudj'), one of the rites of mwiri, an important male initiation society spread throughout southern and central Gabon.  The okuyi masks appeared during community rituals linked to important events of village life (funerals, end of mourning, youth initiation, transgressions of clan orders, birth, epidemics, etc). Representing female entities from the world of spirits or the dead, the masks capture an ideal of beauty. They are characterized by a face with youthful features, half-closed eyelids under slightly raised arching eyebrows, a fine realistically-rendered nose, a mouth pursed forward with full red-painted lips, painted red, and an elaborate crested coiffure. The two-crested hairstyle of the Kunin mask is particularly prestigious - and rare.  Varying by region, some masks have lozenge-shaped scars on the front and quadrangular patterns on the sides, punctuated by thick "scales" painted in bright red.  These nine scales in relief evoke not only the nine mythical primordial clans from which all Punu-Lumbo groups derive, known in oral traditions by the name Bayaka, but also the crocodile as a totemic animal.