CENTRAL AFRICA, probably FANG (Gabon / Equatorial Guinea / C - Lot 282

CENTRAL AFRICA, probably FANG (Gabon / Equatorial Guinea / Cameroon). Antique European rifle whose stock is carved with an anthropomorphic mask. The face, set in a heart-shaped space, features a long nose and stylized features evoking an ancestral figure. The stock is partially sheathed in leather, held in place by ties, and retains the remains of a cord that once formed a shoulder strap. The overall effect is one of deliberately transforming the weapon into an individualized, symbolic object. Wood, metal, leather, vegetable fibers, old patina, wear and alterations due to age and use, weapon out of working order. Length: 99 cm This type of rifle illustrates the ancient exchanges between Europeans and African societies, where firearms, offered or acquired, became objects of prestige as much as utilitarian instruments. Once integrated into an African context, the rifle is requalified by the carving of the stock, giving it a dimension of identity and status. More than a simple hunting or fighting tool, this transformed object becomes a marker of power, at the crossroads of European and African cultures.