Colonial Era (Gabon)
(1885 to 1960)
What happened?
French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza undertook several voyages to the Gabon-Congo area in 1875. Franceville and Brazzaville were founded in 1879 and 1882. Savorgnan became colonial governor. Several Bantu groups lived in the area that is now (2021) Gabon when France officially occupied it in 1885.
In 1888 Gabon was added to French Congo, but in 1904 Gabon became a separate French colony again. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1958.
In the Second World War, Gabon was invaded and taken over by the Free French from General Charles de Gaulle, to overthrow the pro-Vichy France colonial administration. In 1958, Gabon became an autonomous republic within the French Community, and in 1960, it became fully independent.
Unlike many other African countries, Gabon is a politically stable country.
Tribal Helm Mask. Found: Gabon (JN0251)
Fang People
± 1950
The Fangs are an ethnic group living in a mosaic of village communities mainly in Equatorial Guinea, but also in Northern Gabon and in southern Cameroon. Historically, the Fang were nomads and settled relatively recently. The large rainforest where the Fang settled is a plateau of medium height, intersected by numerous rivers with waterfalls and rapids, making navigation impossible for the most part.
The Fang People are mainly hunters, but also farmers. Their social structure is based on a clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on the family. The migratory existence of the Fang forbade the establishment of ancestral shrines at tombs. Instead, the remains of important dead, in the form of the skull and other bones, were transported from place to place in a cylindrical bark box. In the early 1900s they were visited by missionaries and they integrated Christianity into their faith.
The Fang culture is known for their art. Some of the old traditions and the use of certain masks, such as the Ngil face mask, disappeared ± 1950. These masks were worn by members of the men's society during the initiation of new members and the persecution of criminals. They appeared after sunset. The lines on the mask represent the style of the Fang. The mask is painted white, probably kaolin, and is the symbolism of the dead and the power of the ancestors.