Among the Fang of southern Cameroon (the Beti and Bulu Ngumba groups) and northern Gabon (the Ntumu and Betsi groups), the Byeri society practiced a system of worship involving ancestral relics, while the Ngil rites instead utilized human bones derived from anonymous outsiders such as prisoners of war or slaves, in specific practices intended to combat malicious witchcraft (see Tessman 1913). This important sacrament of social regulation and customary law, which has been compared to a sort of "inquisition", was observed in situ in the early 1900s by Father Henri Trilles (CSSP) during his visits to rural regions of Gabon, and again soon thereafter by the German ethnographer Günther Tessman, in Rio Muni. These ceremonies involved spectacular dances, and the nocturnal intervention of a terrifying mask in the image of a long, pale face. The role of this character was to discover potentially hidden sorcerers in the villages, and to judge and punish them. As time went on, however, the brutal interventions of the Ngil militias began to cause great unrest in the villages where they were intended to promote peace. They were consequently forbidden by the colonial authorities and religious missions in the period between 1910 and 1920 (depending upon the region). This prohibition caused the gradual disappearance of the large Fang Ngil masks.
One must acknowledge that the Fang Ngil Masks, today keenly sought after as indispensable keystones of the best collections of African art, were anything but mundane ritual accessories, despite their astonishingly pure forms, minimalist ornament, and sublime, majestic expressions. These were integral emblems of a belief system which feared the power of spirits of the beyond, and promoted a hope to defeat death and evil, especially those caused by the malicious sorcery. These ancient masks evoke Ngil as the keeper of the balance between living and the dead.
Provenance:
- Gallery Leonard Kahan 1980, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
- James Campbell, Montreal, Canada
- Marc Assayag, Tookalook Inc., Quebec, Canada
- Chris Wild, London, UK
David Malík PhD
Founder/Director
