With its sleek geometrical composition it should be no surprise Kees van Strien fell in love with this Aduma face mask from southeastern Gabon. These masks are characterized by the flat surface of the face underneath a projecting forehead. The small openings for the eyes are separated by the vertical line of the projecting bridge of the angular nose. The mouth is only minimally represented with a small horizontal slit. Typically, these masks are painted in four sections, with alternating colors. Our mask displays traces of red, blue and white pigment, and clearly was repainted on several occasions. This polychromy indeed is a defining element of the Aduma mask style. The ingenious reduction of the human anatomy to geometric forms which can be witnessed in this mask was prescient, auguring the artistic innovations of European modernism. Aduma masks are relatively rare in museum and private collections and little is known about their original functions, apart from the suggestion that they once performed during initiation ceremonies. As a rare feature the present mask preserves its original bite-stick which the dancer would clasp between his teeth to hold the mask while performing with it.