A rare wooden mask sold at an auction in France on Saturday is at the center of a clamor for the restitution of African art by Gabonese activists who claim the 19th-century artifact from Central Africa should be repatriated to Gabon instead.

The carved "Ngil" mask, used in ceremonies by the Fang ethnic people of Gabon, smashed its estimate of $330,000 - $430,000 at the auction in the southern French city of Montpellier when it eventually sold for $4.6 million.

Present among the audience at the auction was a protester who described himself as a member of the Gabonese community in Montpellier, who exclaimed “it’s a case of receiving stolen goods,” while the auction was going on. He was flanked by half a dozen compatriots as he made his impassioned remark.

"We'll file a complaint. Our ancestors, my ancestors, from the Fang community, we will recover this object", the protester added, describing the mask as a "colonial ill-gotten gain".

However, Auctioneer Jean-Christophe Giuseppi noted that the auction was "entirely legal", as far as he was aware.

The demonstrators eventually left the auction hall peacefully, accompanied by security guards, but continued their protest against the sale of African works of art outside the venue.

Saturday's auction also included a Congolese chair which sold for $48,300.

With added costs and fees, the total paid by the successful bidder for the Fang mask was $5.76 million, close to a record for such an item.

In 2006, a similar Fang mask brought in $6.48 million at a Paris auction.

With additional reports from agencies.