The Vuvi (or Vouvi)

The Vuvi live in the central region of the present day Gabon.

Vuvi Mask – With clean lines and simple forms this is, in fact, a very rare piece.

The tribes-people live in an isolated area, in a forest next to the Ngoumé River in Gabon.

Here, they survive through agriculture and fishing. They are known for their masks, in which they were inspired by their neighbours, the Mitsogho. These masks have a flat shape, are covered in white pigments, and have triangular chins which are longer than those of the Mitsogho.

White face masks a typical to the peoples of Gabon. This one comes from an area of mixed influences and styles located among the Vuvi and Mitsogho people. But the present mask is more related to the Vuvi than the Mitsogho because of certain features such as the elongated form of the face and details on facial features including  the large arched eyebrows going from the root of the nose to the edges.

The Vuvi live in the central region of the present day Gabon. Their art is known for their painted figures and masks. They have produced various forms of masks: helmet, facial, flat, and several other types. The facial and flat masks are the most popular. As for their neighbors Tsogo, Punu, and Lumbu, their masks are usually painted in white. But the Vuvi masks are distinguished by their flatness and elongated forms , The holes along the edge were served to attach plant fibers and textiles costume. This suggests that this mask was used as a dancing mask. They were used in connections with the spirit Mukuji(or Moukouji). They were  worn by Mukuji society members and were mainly performed during funeral ceremonies.