African Tribal Art - Pende Mask

Belgian private collection.

The Western Pende live along the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern Pende have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. Their tribal art, particularly sculpture, is influenced by neighboring ethnic groups such as the Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu. Among their works, the Mbuya masks, realistic and produced every ten years, have a festive function and embody various characters, including the chief, the soothsayer and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc. The masks of initiation and power, called minganji, represent the ancestors and appear successively during the same ceremonies: agricultural festivals, initiation and circumcision rituals (mukanda), as well as the enthronement of the chief. The Pende are governed by family heads, the djogo, who also have a priestly function. They go through different initiations, including that of circumcision, which prepare them for adult life. Their sculptures, designed to contact the ancestors, are stored in a room or house adjoining that of the chief.

Item accompanied by its certificate of authenticity.
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