NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. A faithful replica of the renowned "White Masks of the Ogooue," this mask personifies an ancestral spirit of the Kota and Mukudji people from Gabon. Known as "Punu," the ancestral spirit is believed to guide one to the hereafter; Punu masks are reserved for important village festivities. Salihu Ibrahim hand-carves the mask of sese wood featuring half-opened eyes and slightly raised pursed lips. The forehead is embellished with a distinct diamond-shaped motif. The face is surrounded by a patterned halo. Once the mask is carved and the wood has dried thoroughly dried, it is treated with clay to appear like an antique piece. Artisan Info: "Greetings from Ghana, West Africa, where we are thinking of you and thanking you for such a successful work year. From myself, my family, and my seven carving assistants, we wish you the best. "My name is Salihu Ibrahim, and I was born in the eastern region of Ghana in 1964. My father, Ibrahim, died when I was a child and I'm certain his death actually changed and shaped the course of my life. With the death of my father, I was sent to live with one of my father's closest friends, Opanin Osei, a renowned traditional carver to the then Akwamu chief and the people of Akwamu. At the age of ten, I was fully under the carving tutelage and control
