Face mask "mbuya mbangu" · D. R. Congo, Pende · ID: 3046741
not available anymore
Provenance
Hermann Kühn, Munich, GermanyGerman Private Collection (1998)
Lempertz, Brussels, 22 January 2013, Lot 150
Size
H: 24,5 cm
H: 9.6 inch
Description
wood, pigments, insect caused damage
“Mbangu” is a summary of illness in general and of all the misfortunes that can happen to a person. In some regions “mbangu” represents a man upon whom fetishists have cast a spell.
The white that decorates the face is associated with the white clay of the kaolin, used in all healing rituals. Inversely, the black is associated with sorcery and illness.
Comparing literature
Pende, Collection J. M. Desaive et Ch. Laeremans, Brussels 2009, p. 38 f.