{"product_id":"punu-white-mask-okuyi-mukudji-gabon","title":"Punu White Mask (Okuyi \/ Mukudji) — Gabon","description":"A vintage white-faced mask of the Punu people of southern Gabon, from the Ogooué River basin of west-central Africa. Hand-carved in wood and coated in kaolin (white clay), the mask represents the spirit of a beautiful female ancestor — white being the color of the ancestral world and of idealized feminine beauty in Punu belief.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe face carries all the hallmarks of the tradition: a serene, meditative expression with softly lidded downcast eyes, finely arched brows, a narrow ridged nose, and a small delicate mouth. The high domed coiffure is rendered in fine combed striations, rising to a central crest with shell-like side lobes, and the jaw is finished with a striated beard-line. Faint traces of pigment remain across the surface.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMasks of this type are worn in the okuyi (also called mukudji) masquerade, in which a dancer performs on tall stilts during funerary rites and village celebrations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe piece shows genuine age and wear consistent with ritual use — surface erosion, pigment loss, patina, and small losses and cracks to the wood — all of which speak to its history and authenticity. Please see photos as part of the description.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetails\u003cbr\u003e- Culture: Punu people (Punu\/Lumbo group)\u003cbr\u003e- Origin: Gabon, West-Central Africa\u003cbr\u003e- Material: Wood, kaolin (white clay), pigment\u003cbr\u003e- Height: 46 cm (18.1 in)\u003cbr\u003e- Condition: Vintage, with age-related wear, erosion, and minor losses consistent with use","brand":"\u0026 Other Stories","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48089635258594,"sku":null,"price":79.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0825\/2201\/3922\/files\/8a775a63-9d93-4aa7-b380-14c8f7dcb44c.jpg?v=1784895008","url":"https:\/\/www.alobalo.shop\/products\/punu-white-mask-okuyi-mukudji-gabon","provider":"Alobalo ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}