Female face mask "mbuya"
D. R. Congo, Pende
not available anymore
Size
H: 24 cm
H: 9.4 inch
Description
wood, brown patina, red pigment, kaolin, ideal feminine physiognomy with “bedroom eyes”, wig in the beloved “guhata sanga” hairstyle, scarification marks on forehead and temples, slightly dam. (nose, mouth), abrasion of paint, base;
simply called “the female mask” or “gambanda”, resp. “kambanda”. The male dancer wears beautiful and costly clothes, bracelets and anklets - he is dressed like a beautiful young girl liable to become the trophy wife of a high-status male. The female mask dances to the rhythms of comtemporary popular dances and performs little comedies with a mirror and comb to suggest her vanity and preoccupation with appearance.