Monkey Mask – Wood – Bulu – Cameroon

Unique Janus (double faced) from the Bulu tribe of Cameroon. The Bulu are among the many peoples in the area to share a reverence, mixed with terror, for the great apes of the forest – especially mandrills and gorillas.
This fetish, half-ape and half-human, is associated with the gorilla cult, Ngi, corresponding to the Fang Ngil society. The gorilla spirit is an adult bogeyman who watches human life from the forest and punishes transgressors by night. It is likely that these rare ape-human figures were owned by senior initiates in the Ngi cult.
Good condition with traces of wear and tear.

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer, former gallery owner from Ulm, Germany. Including custom made stand.