Lot 130B
Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yombe culture, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautiful and finely-carved wooden mask with almond-shaped eyes, a slender nose, puffy cheeks, a rounded chin, and a parted mouth. A broad forehead displays dozens of small impressions in an inverted triangular form just below an incised horizontal band segregating the domed head from the rest of the face. Applied kaolin powder imbues the visage with its chalky-white appearance, providing a complementarity with the light-brown patina, and dark-brown pigmentation remnants emphasize the arched eyebrows of the intense countenance. Several perforations line the peripheries in order to attach a wide textile head cover, and a copper wire has been added for suspension. Comes with museum-quality display stand. Size: 7" W x 10.25" H (17.8 cm x 26 cm); 14" H (35.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Yombe masks like this example were used primarily in ritual divination ceremonies in which spiritual leaders would reveal future events to come or rationalize the meaning behind past occurrences. Yombe divination masks are worn by the nganga diphomba (or divination specialist) in order to determine which members of society had committed wrongdoings or any action detrimental to themselves, someone else, or society as a whole.
The exterior chalky-white kaolin coloration is also indicative of the mask's symbolic nature in divining rituals. In Yombe culture, white is the color most closely associated with truth, justice, order, and insight. These are also virtues typically associated with the nganga diphomba themselves as they exemplify their duty of maintaining peace and stability amongst the populace. The countenance of the mask itself may represent the indifference its wearer must hold when upholding and carrying out the task of preserving individual as well as societal integrity.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Mathias Komor Gallery, New York, New York, USA; property deaccessioned from the Art Institute of Chicago, inventory number 1978.90 written in white paint along interior edge.
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#131235
- Condition: Expected surface wear commensurate with age, pigmentation wear to high-point areas, small nicks to eyes, nose, mouth, and peripheries, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Old inventory sticker reads "Mathias Komor Works of Art E 764 Mazambe New York" on the interior, and Art Institute of Chicago inventory number "1978.90" written in white along interior edge.
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