African Arts Gallery

Pende mask (N° 21921)

The African mask panya ngombe, triangular, is associated with the wild buffalo. Copies larger than required by the tribal canon were intended to be hung in the chief's hut, and logically did not present any internal signs of use. Matte polychrome patina, erosions.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern ones have settled on the banks of the Kasaï downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief fumu or ufumu , the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the jester, tundu, the possessed, etc... The Mbuya initiation masks linked to the mukanda and those of power, the minganji , represent the ancestors and occur successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural festivals, rituals of initiation and mukanda circumcision, enthronement of the chief. (Art and Life in Africa, C.D. Roy)