The Punu are equatorial forest peoples live along the Ogowe and Ngounie River region of southwest Gabon.
The hairstyles of the Okuyi masks recall the way the women did their hair, and the diamond motif on the forehead is a reminder of the way they used to have tribal cheloid tattoo's/scarification as a tribal identity.
The dancers walked on stilts, hidden beneath a mass of cloth. Although the features are the Punu ideals of female beauty, white is the color of death. Worn by men, the mask represesnts the spirit of a dead person and appears chiefly during mourning ceremonies.
Height: 14" x Width: 8" x Depth: 7"
