African Arts Gallery

Pende mask (N° 22569) Deposit sale

African mask of initiation, Mbuya, with deep notched eyelids, an upturned nose, and a narrow mouth revealing the upper dentition. Around a hooping of basketry, a canvas of raffia supports fibers arranged like hair. Two-tone satin patina. Height on base: 45 cm.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern ones have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influence of neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu is imprinted on their large sculpture of tribal art. Within this diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters that are difficult to differentiate without their costume, including the chief fumu or ufumu, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the jester, tundu, the possessed, etc... Mbuya initiation masks related to initiation mukanda and those of power, the minganji, represent the ancestors and occur successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural festivals, initiation rituals and mukanda circumcision , enthronement of the chief. (Art and Life in Africa, C.D. Roy; "Pende" Strother)