Description:

Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Middle Lualaba River region, Pende people, ca. mid 20th century CE. An elegant, striking wooden mask (panya ngombe) with a bulging forehead and a very long, curved, goatee decorated with incised diamonds painted white along its length. The face is startlingly foreshortened, with pouchy, projecting mouth, nose, and eyes/eyelids. Three deep scarification marks are low on each cheek and down the center of the forehead. Fabric is sewn onto the back of the mask and dense raffia decorates the sides. Size: 7.5" W x 21" H (19 cm x 53.3 cm)

The Pende people create masks that use interestingly-shaped planes and simplified forms, typically colored red, white, and black, and use them in masquerades and initiations of secret societies. Each mask is thought to embody an ancestral force and, when worn, can act as a mediator with the spirit world.

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection

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#132178

  • Condition: Wear on surface, with some loss to pigment and small, inactive insect damage. Textile is worn and fraying at edges. Raffia is slightly faded.

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May 10, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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