Face mask "mbuya" ·  R. D. Congo, Pende · ID: 3037263

Description

wood, dark brown patina, kaolin, tongue-shaped beard, enclosed by grass fibre bundles, bonnet of coarse sacking embroidered with bast fibres, collection number “475/61096”, abrasion of paint in some places;
the Pende broadly distinguish between village or dance masks, generically called “mbuya”, and fraternity or intitiation masks, called “mingangji”. Sculptors have created a wide variety of “mbuya” masks, portraying a diverse set of personas. The identification of a specific mask character depends largely on aspects of the costume, including the headdress and acessories, and the choreography.