Helmet mask – Wood – Ngongtang – Fang – Gabon

Wonderful Fang Ngongtang helmet mask from Gabon.

The (Fang groups) Betsi and Ntumu call this type of helmet mask ngontang, a term that is a contraction of nlo ngon ntanga, which means ‘face of the daughter of the white man.’ When the Betsi and Ntumu peoples first encountered the Europeans, they believed the Europeans were spirits returned from the world of the dead. Introduced in the 1920s, these mask were a ritual object that fought against malevolent forces such as witchcraft. It is thought the ngontang replaced the ngil mask, which policed the Fang communities and was banned by the French colonial government.”

The mask is in good condition with clear traces of wear and tear.