Three-headed mask "gizengi" ·  D. R. Congo, Pende · ID: 3036641

Description

wood, dark brown patina, red and white pigment, prominent scarifications, characteristic feature: continuous eye brows, dam., missing parts through insect caused damage (above all at the lower rim and on the right side), cracks, old place of repair (crack and damaged spot spread with mass and “mended” by plant fibre), rep. (lower mouth part), base;
Anne-Marie Bouttiaux stated, that the “gizengi” mask character was created among the Central Pende in the early 20th century. In its first incarnations, “gizengi” was an association of two or several masks of the same type placed side by side. While later sculptors used a single piece of wood and carved it with several faces like present mask proves.

The object Three-headed mask “gizengi” with the object ID 3036641 was last part of the auction 76th tribal art auction at March 22, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 582.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Bouttiaux, Anne-Marie, Persona, Masks of Africa, Tervuren 2009, p. 22 ff.