Figure of a mask dancer with "tundu" mask
D. R. Congo, Pende
not available anymore
Provenance
Kevin Conru, London, Great BritainSize
H: 53,5 cm
H: 21.1 inch
Description
wood, middle brown patina, black paint (maks), extremely bulging abdomen, min. dam., missing parts (foot tips, right ear), slight traces of abrasion, base;
“tundu” acts as the clown or idiot in masquerades. He is grotesque in physical appearance and even more so in his behavior. His role in the masquerade is to show how disgusting it looks when one does not follow social standards.