Antique Tribal used Finely crafted African Vuvi mask, Congo.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood, with color pigments.
Heights: 35 cm.
This Vuvi mask is aged mid 20th century and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

White Mask Tsogho / Vouvi - Gabon
The country of Tsogho, though geographically protected by its inaccessible mountains, lies at the crossroads of distinctly different stylistic movements. Thus, Tsogho culture exists at the intersection of influences and beliefs that it has apparently sought to syncretize from religious and mystical purposes. Used during the night ceremonies of the Bwété initiation society, these masks are ritual objects hidden from the view of the uninitiated.
They act as supernatural phenomena, materializing the multitude of humanoid and animal entities used as symbols by the esoteric teachings taught by the brotherhood. The mask thus serves to visualize the colorful and expanding pantheon of symbolic images evoked by the initiation stories.
Among the Mitsogho and within Bwété society, the mask has a dual function. A sacred object reserved only for initiates; the same mask appears to everyone during the day, taking on an ambiguous role: In this case, it still evokes fear, but also becomes an excuse for a game.
During the daily festivities that follow the Bwété ceremonies, we can also observe true plays in which unmasked characters perform, but disguised or in grotesque attire, a kind of clown portraying anecdotal characters, during mischievous or satirical scenes discussing the history of the tribe and its conflicts with neighboring tribes.