Face mask "mbuya" ·  R. D. Congo, Pende · ID: 3041830

Description

light soft wood, yellow ochre, white and indigo blue pigment, raffia bast bonnet, trimmed with tufts of grass fibre and “antenna”- like projection, slightly dam./abrasion of paint (nose);
the Pende broadly distinguish between village or dance masks, generically called “mbuya”, and fraternity or initiation masks, called “mingangji”. The identification of a specific mask character depends largely on aspects of costume, including the headdress and acessories, and the choreography.