Female face mask
D. R. Congo, Yombe / Sundi
not available anymore
Provenance
Marc Leo Felix, Brussels, Belgium (“FX 980800”)Size
H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch
Description
wood, kaolin, tukula, black pigment, collection number “FX 980800”, base
Felix remarked to this mask: “although the headdress is typically Yombe, as well as the red bandanna around the forehead, the mouth is more reminiscent of the Sundi”.
The mask shows almost naturalistic portrait-like features. It depitcts a high-ranking lady of Yombe society or her spirit, the embodiment of idealized female beauty and virtue. The face is covered with white kaolin, both ritually sanctifying the object as well as physically beautifying it.