Punu Mask
Punu masks are thought to represent ancestor's faces, worn during funerals and by a Moukouji,(primary role is to subjugate harmful forest spirits) initiate who stands on stilts. They have realistic, usually white, faces with protruding pursed lips, T-shaped noses, globular protruding eyes incised with a curve, high-domed foreheads and characteristic ridged high coiffures which reflects the Punu women's style. Some have raised lozenge scarifications on the temples which are thought to be associated either with a female ancestor, or with a southern sub-group of the Punu tribe.Masks are powerful images that help convey feelings during ceremonies and tell myths. These two masks, one female and one male, were made by the Punu, or Ashira people, in the Nguirie River region of Gabon, Africa. The Gabon masks were the earliest African objects brought to Europe. These were the masks that influenced the art of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Georges Braque. Most Punu masks are made of African white wood or wood from the oil nut tree.The wood is light, compact and easily carved. Masks are usually carved from a single piece of freshly cut and still moist wood. A large adze hatchet (small axe with a short handle for use with one hand) is used to block out main forms and to scoop out hollows. A smaller adze is used to smooth the mask surfaces. Incised surface decorations and delineation of features are done with a sharp knife prior to final smoothing and painting of the masks. The master carver who made these masks probably painted them himself. Natural colors are produced from a variety of materials. The black paint used on this mask probably was made from charcoal or river sediment mixed with tree sap, the red paint from ochre or camwood and the white paint from clay or kaolin. Each color is prepared in a small pot and applied to the mask with the tips of sticks that have been chewed or pounded to serve as a brush. The uneven surface indicates that the masks were probably painted over many times. The female mask was worn by dancers, or Moukouji, to represent the spirits of beautiful young women who return to the village for funerals. The dancers performed on high stilts so the masks were barely visible to those on the ground. Another style of mask was used by religious leaders to ward off unwanted spirits at funerals. These masks were the personification of the dead person’s spirit in some instances. The mask appears during mourning ceremonies and in dances performed at dawn or dusk. The sculptor wanted the masks to have a mysterious beauty. God created the world, but the spirits were left to rule. Man is considered immortal and a great deal of the African’s energy is spent communicating with the spirits of the dead. The hierarchy of forces is as follows: God, ancestors (God created them first to serve as intermediaries between God and man), other deceased people, living people (elders rank highest), animals, plants and minerals. Even though many religious traditions exist in Africa, some ideas about the cosmos are common to many African peoples. The Punu communicate with the realm of spirits and ancestors through the use of masks and dances used during funerals.