The African masks Kwele from Gabon have a concave face in which the reliefs consist of the almond-shaped squinted eyes and the triangular nose. Generally concealed in the line of the jaw, the mouth takes shape in a thin incision. Depending on the presence of horns and their arrangement, the masks are called pipibudzé, Ekuku zokou, etc...and are associated with ancestors or spirits of the forest, "ekuk". Height on base: 41 cm. Velvety matte patina. Erosions and cracks. Tribe of the Kota group, the Kwélé , Bakwélé , live in the forest on the northern border of the Republic of Congo. They live from hunting, agriculture and metallurgy. Practicing the cult called Bwété borrowed from the Ngwyes, which was accompanied by obligatory initiation rites, they used at the end of the ceremonies the masks ekuk evoking the antelope whose horns meet loop under the chin. The blood of the antelope was also used among the Kwélé for therapeutic purposes. They produce rare statues linked to the initiation rites of young people.
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