Gong

Tsogo people, Gabon, African

20th century

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Elaborate egungun costume of various layered, strips of colorful textiles, including velvet and indigo-dyed cloth, with applied, cut, white metal geometric elements that are sewn to the various pieces of the costume, the metal forms are incised with geometric patterns.
Oval-shaped vessel tapers to narrow, flat base. Narrow curved neck has flaring rim; shoulder has five rows of raised bumps. Body of vessel has four rows of repeating incised garlands.
Vessel cover dedicated to the river god, Erinle. Such vessels were used to hold "moving water" from rivers or the sea, but not from wells, Every sixteen days the water is renewed together with two stones taken from a river as symbols of Erinle. The stones are also considered analogous to embryos in the womb. Surmounted by a male figure with his arms around a bowl on a potstand, a salamander or other river animal is behind him, and ritual implements surround him.
Carved wood figure with beaded vest.