Pende mask - Pende - DR Congo
04
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€ 1
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Selected by Dimitri André
Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Estimate € 220 - € 250
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Pende mask, a 42 cm wooden sculpture from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, made by the Pende, dating to the late 20th century, in good condition, with provenance to Berthe Hartert, Barcelona and the Argiles Collection, Barcelona; sold without a stand.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Much speculation has been devoted to interpreting the projection extending from the chin on these masks. Most Westerners have assumed it represents a beard. This assumption always surprises the Pende, who rarely see beards longer than two inches. The technical name for the projection is 'gilanga,' but Pende sculptors in the center jokingly call it 'snout' (mutumbi). If possible, the Pende prefer to wait one or two nights before burying their dead. The women wash the body, lay it out, and cover it with a sheet. In the past, this sheet was made of raffia cloth, but later it was replaced by white cotton cloth. Sometimes, they pulled the sheet up to the chin and cut a strip of cloth to cover the mouth and keep it closed. In this case, the chin was exposed. The depiction of a corpse explains the half-open eyes, with their unfocused gaze. The elegant abstraction of the body explains the shape of the projection, which often curves upward at the end, resembling feet. The mouth is half-open. For aesthetic reasons, the artists have chosen to reinforce the jawline with the end of the covering sheet and depict the mouth without the line of fabric.
Provenance: Berthe Hartert, Barcelona
Argiles Collection, Barcelona
Much speculation has been devoted to interpreting the projection extending from the chin on these masks. Most Westerners have assumed it represents a beard. This assumption always surprises the Pende, who rarely see beards longer than two inches. The technical name for the projection is 'gilanga,' but Pende sculptors in the center jokingly call it 'snout' (mutumbi). If possible, the Pende prefer to wait one or two nights before burying their dead. The women wash the body, lay it out, and cover it with a sheet. In the past, this sheet was made of raffia cloth, but later it was replaced by white cotton cloth. Sometimes, they pulled the sheet up to the chin and cut a strip of cloth to cover the mouth and keep it closed. In this case, the chin was exposed. The depiction of a corpse explains the half-open eyes, with their unfocused gaze. The elegant abstraction of the body explains the shape of the projection, which often curves upward at the end, resembling feet. The mouth is half-open. For aesthetic reasons, the artists have chosen to reinforce the jawline with the end of the covering sheet and depict the mouth without the line of fabric.
Provenance: Berthe Hartert, Barcelona
Argiles Collection, Barcelona
Details
No. of items
1
Ethnic group/ culture
Pende
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Period
Late 20th century
Material
Wood
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Title of artwork
Pende mask
Height
42 cm
