Helmet mask "giphogo" ·  R. D. Congo, Pende · ID: 3033922

Description

wood, polychrome paint, slit eyes and a trunk-like nose, beard with zigzag ornaments, coiffure with knob-like projection, min. dam., cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
the mask “giphogo” forms part of the chief’s treasure, and is kept in his residence together with other sacred objects. The masked figure represents the political leader and symbolizes ancestral power.

Littérature comparée

Herreman, Frank, Petridis, Constantijn (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p. 73