Face mask "mbangu"

Description

wood, brown patina, darkened kaolin, slanting eyes and brows, the face halves painted in different colours, fine knotted raffia bast bonnet with a tuft of grass fibre above the forehead, slightly dam., minor missing parts, paint rubbed off;
this mask is the depiction of a highly regarded hunter who has been stricken with facial paralysis. In performance, the “mbangu” mask is danced with a whole cast of character types, from clown to sorcerer and prostitute. The black and white painting refers to the scars of someone who fell into fire due to epilepsy or some medical condition.

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