Helmet-shaped mask, probably "phumbu" · D. R. Congo, Eastern Pende · ID: 3041832
sold
EUR 2,500
Provenance
Belgian Colonial Collection (before 1915)Size
H: 35 cm
H: 13.8 inch
Description
wood, red, black and white pigment, coiffure in four pointed lobes, continuous brow line, nose bridge with grooved decor, incised scarification marks, drilled holes around the rim, slightly dam. (coiffure), abrasion of paint;
the “phumbu” mask type represents a chief and usually performed for entertainment of the villagers. Present mask however is said to have never been worn, but originally had been mounted on a post.
Comparing literature
Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brussels 1987, p. 141, ill. 12