What is the Punu mask used for?
The Punu mask was used as a prominent object in ceremonies, kept inside a container and placed beside ancestral bones during funerals, or used to unmask sorcerers during magical rites. Today, its most common use is for entertainment in festive occasions.
What aspect of non-material culture does this item represent?
The Punu Mask represents non-material culture in a combination of expressive and reflective culture. First, it represents expressive culture because the object itself is a form of art. It celebrates idealized female ancestors in the Punu tribe. On the other hand, it represents reflective culture because of the story behind the mask. It is believed to identify sorcerers in a magical rites, for example in the Mukuji Rite.
What is it made of?
The Punu mask is made of a variety of materials such as wood, brass, bronze, ivory, copper, glazed pottery, and textiles. However, the majority of these masks are made of the original material, wood. Wood is a convenient object to use because there is plenty in the forrest and it is believed to have a the most natural spiritual soul made into a mask.
Where is it produced?
You can find the finest hand carved mask within the Punu tribe located in Gabon. These masks are known to be carved and worn only by the Punu men.
You can find the finest hand carved mask within the Punu tribe located in Gabon. These masks are known to be carved and worn only by the Punu men.
Who might use this mask and how long have people been using it? How would people use it?
Punu men are the wearers of this mask. It is worn in magical rites and ceremonies, funerals, and practical purposes. As stated in the previous section, people use these masks today commonly for festive occasions. It has been around since the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
How people would use this mask is by simply wearing it over their face in dances to provoke identities of spirits in funerals and ceremonies with body concealing costumes.
Punu men are the wearers of this mask. It is worn in magical rites and ceremonies, funerals, and practical purposes. As stated in the previous section, people use these masks today commonly for festive occasions. It has been around since the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
How people would use this mask is by simply wearing it over their face in dances to provoke identities of spirits in funerals and ceremonies with body concealing costumes.
What symbols or markings does it contain?
The markings the punu mask contain are the Punu women's traditional hairstyle, a scarification of nine diamonds on the forehead, Oriental shaped eyes, a nose, ears, and embossed lips. The hairstyle is shaped in a high bun symbolizing the wearer is wealthy because they do not carry goods on top of their head and the diamond shaped scarification represents the nine Punu clans.
Life with out without the Punu Mask
The people of African Decent can live without the Punu Mask because it is not a necessity in life. However, I do feel like the Punu mask does three things for the Punu tribe: it marks their existence, it represents their religious beliefs, and it plays an important role with connecting to ancestors. This is important because even if the mask is just a piece of hand carved wood, it represents a whole deeper meaning of the Punu tribe and culture.