"This powerful mask was hand-carved by skilled Fang artisans in Gabon. These masks were worn during the initiation of new members into the group or while policing communities. The Nigil was a secret male society within the Fang people tasked with protecting and administering justice, as well as keeping peace between clans and villages. The Ngil society took part in rituals and ceremonies that were intended to discourage people of the community who might have evil intentions and fight off witchcraft. This group and its traditions, however, were outlawed in the late 1920s by French authorities. These masks are crafted with wood, which is then covered with a layer of soft white clay that is called Kaolinite. The white color of these masks is associated with things like the spirits of ancestors, death, and male virility or manhood. Most Ngil masks are an oval shape featuring a broad forehead with an elongated chin and nose. One of the defining characteristics is high, rounded brows and a smooth, long face, which may have been meant to reflect the Ngil Society's name, which means ""gorilla"".
This important symbolic piece is sure to be a center of attention wherever it goes - living room, dining room, office, bedroom. Everyone is unique."
