The Kwele (or Bekwyel) are an ethnic group residing around 100 miles north of the equator along the borderlands of Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon. This was a region famed for its harsh climate and had traditionally been notoriously...
The name ñgontang comes from a contraction of ñgon ntañga, meaning “the daughter of the white man" (also called nlo-ngontang, a contraction of nlo ngon ntanga, meaning "the face of the daughter of the white man").
The masks were used in the...
The Ngil was a roving militia, primarily focused on finding and neutralising malevolent sorcerers. The group acted as the guarantor of social stability and security for its people, while the sorcerers they hunted were believed to be possessed by an...
Only a few masks of this type still exist and little is known about its origins or use among the Kota or other small groups such as the Bushamaye.
In the Makokou region, however, such masks were worn in ceremonies to dispel disruptive forces and...
Known as warriors, the Fang possessed shields, lances, spears, short swords, and battle-axes. They also used crossbows, but mainly only for hunting.
The Fang didn't use throwing knives, as they considered them curiosities or relics from another...
The Aduma are a small ethnic group located on the upper Ogooué River in southeastern Gabon to which the mvudi mask belongs. Oral traditions about the origin of the mask make mention of the Mount Ngouadi region in the Ivindo...
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