Pende people, Eastern Congo

18 inches, wood

This wide mask with laterally projecting ears appears in initiation ceremonies or is displayed above the doors of the chiefs’ compound as an emblem of office, and it is certainly one of the most distinctive and easily recognized of traditional West African masks. This one is probably a made for market piece. It is from and old collection and dates from the 1950s. Very hard to find Panya ngombes today. The raffia skirt has been added by me and is not original. The mask is pictured in the catalog Masks From Around the World, Lancaster Museum of Art, 2002.

$480