Anthropomorphic mask "mfondo" · D. R. Congo, Lwalu (Lwalwa) · ID: 3051724
Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Munich, Germany (ca.1970)
Ludwig Schmidt, Munich, Germany (1973)
German Private Collection, Munich
Description
wood, pigments,
The facial representations of the Lwalu are composed of purely geometric elements, sharply angled planes and smooth unadorned surfaces. Mask forms are distinguished from one another through the prominent noses that were inspired by the beaks of different birds.
Masks “mfondo” were worn at dances to celebrate the circumcision and initiation of young men into the “ngongo” society and to appease the spirits that control hunting.
The object Anthropomorphic mask “mfondo” with the object ID 3051724 was last part of the auction Auction 104 at April 12, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 252 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,200.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Publications
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Afrikanische Kunst in Deutschen Privatsammlungen, München 1973, S. 341, ill. 491
AHDRC: 0033276