This mask had a serious purpose. Used by the ngil secret society, it was designed to strike fear into those who had nefarious intentions, thereby policing the community. Their form is accordingly stark and impressive, with high arched eyebrows, a long slender nose, and an elongated chin. The oval shape, and low chin, call to mind the lowland gorilla, after whom the ngil society was named. It is painted with kaolin, a pale riverbed clay noted for its sacred properties. The ngil operated at night, and one can only imagine the impact of this bright white mask, accompanied by a full costume of dried grass, emerging from the darkness to correct behaviour and ward off witchcraft. The whiteness also signified the ancestors, whose spirit was invoked in the fight against bad magic.

The Fang people are a Bantu group who live in Equatorial Guinea, northern Gabon, and southern Cameroon. The ngil association was particularly associated with keeping peace in the tribe, with a special responsibility for unmasking witchcraft. The French colonial authorities




banned the Ngil secret society in the 1920s, and since then, the masks have become increasingly rare. As a result, they are considered the ‘holy grail’ of African art, with pre-1920 examples fetching especially high prices. Fang ngil masks have had a wider impact, providing inspiration of artists such as Modigliani. They remain among the most appealing and popular of African artefacts.

References: comparable masks can be found in the Denver Art Museum (1942.443).