Mask "muyombo" ·  D. R. Congo, Pende · ID: 3034803

Description

wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, tongue-shaped beard, a bonnet of coarse sacking, collection number “505/4597”, rep. (breakage at the beard), cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
the mask was worn horizontal on the head. The chin extension apparently represents the ancestral beard. It is called “mwevu” and it is meant as a symbol for authority and wisdom of the ancestors. This mask type was used at initiation and circumcision rites for young boys and in ceremonies conducted in order to achieve good luck in hunting or efficient harvest. The “muyombo” masks should guarantee fertility and welfare of the community.

Comparing literature

Strother, Z.S., Pende, Mailand 2008, pl. 12