Face mask "mbuya mbangu"
D. R. Congo, Pende
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.