Mask Helmet Ngontang Fang Gabon

Beautiful helmet mask or helm called ngontang, used by the Fangs. The dancer in trance wears this mask to which long plant fibers are attached to the edge which hide the dancer, it is white because it represented a spirit of a young girl who came to protect the tribe, and thanks to its 3 faces and its 6 eyes, she can spot witches and evil spirits wherever they may be! It is a soft wood, quite light, with 3 heart-shaped faces, a beautiful and significant patina of use as well as significant age erosion, 1st half of the 20th century.
Note cracks, dents, erosion....33 cm high. The decoration of small holes made with a white-hot metal rod represents ritual scarifications, a rare mask.
A rather similar one with heart-shaped faces at Christies => FANG
From a Breton collector.