Mbangu Pende Mask

Ethnic group: Pende

DRC – Democratic Republic of Congo

Dimensions: 35 cm (h) × 28 cm (w)

Weight: 1.46 kg

Wood, pigments, vegetal fibers

 

Description 

This Mbangu Pende mask is one of the most emblematic and symbolically rich creations of Congo’s traditional arts.

The Pende people, located in southwestern DRC, are renowned for their expressive masks used in social, ritual and initiatory performances.

The Mbangu represents a man struck by facial paralysis or sudden illness, often attributed to invisible forces: sorcery, fate, spiritual imbalance or moral transgression.

Its purpose is not mockery but a moral and philosophical lesson, expressing human fragility and the tension between health and affliction, order and disorder.

The mask traditionally displays one healthy side and one distorted side, reflected here through:

• deliberate facial asymmetry

• textured or eroded areas

• contrasting pigments

• a strong, frozen, almost theatrical expression

The beard made of twisted vegetal fibers reinforces the lifelike presence during performances.

Worn during Mbangu masquerades, this mask appeared in ritual dances, initiation celebrations, community festivals and satirical theatre aimed at teaching social values.

A striking piece for collectors of classical African art, galleries, and those drawn to powerful expressive masks with deep symbolic meaning.

 

Provenance

Private collection ZAMBELLI/BRUGNACCHI, assembled between 1990 and 2023.

Transferred to the Spirit Land of Africa Gallery in 2023.

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