Post #139674 by tikifish on Sat, Feb 5, 2005 8:54 PM

As I coincidentally just pointed out in another topic forum, Tiki Bob is a copy of a FANG mask. the Fang people are from the Cameroon area I believe.Sure, he looks like a weird googie 60's caricature, but he actually has tribal provenance!

Heres a little more info:

'Fang tribes people migrated from the north west during the 18th and 19th century and are today scattered across the Cameroon, equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They are principally hunters, but also farm. Fang social structure is based on the clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on the family. First reports of the Fang appeared in about 1851 where the Fang were described as aggressive man-eating savages who consumed their dead, and hunted elephant with poisoned arrows. They were very superstitious and each death required an attendant ordeal. Sanctuaries in the villages were surmounted with monkey skulls and each clan and family head kept a cylindrical box of tree bark which contained the skulls of the ancestors. Heads or full length statues were placed on top of these boxes and were bound up with lianas. Fang use masks for their secret society ceremonies. Their Masks are characterised by elongated features and a heart-shaped face and were thought to have judiciary powers and so were worn when sentences were handed down by the society. Ngil masks were outlawed in 1910 by French colonials following a series of ritual murders and consequently are rarely found.'

So there you go. Now stop dissin' my man Tiki Bob!