Sun Mask - Gitenga - Pende - DR Congo
02
days
20
hours
33
minutes
06
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Current bid
€ 50
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Dimitri André
Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
Estimate € 350 - € 400
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 Bidder 6065 | €50 | |
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 Bidder 1545 | €1 |
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Masque soleil, called Gitenga, is a 100 cm high wooden mask with feathers and vegetal fibre from the Pende people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from a private collection, in good condition, with no stand.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
This flat, circular mask has a face depicted at its center, surrounded by a wicker border and feathers. Named GITENGA, it was held to the face by the braided raphia mesh fixed to the rear edge. It is a ceremonial mask from the circumcision camp, representing the sun at its rising and setting.
Léon Sousberghe identified two masks: the Minganji, made of plant fibers and associated with male society, and the Mbuya mask, carved in wood and generally linked to the village.
The Pende live on the banks of Kwilu, the influence of neighboring ethnic groups: Mba, Kusu, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salampasu has been imprinted on their tribal art sculpture.
Within this diversity, the realistic Mbuya masks produced every ten years serve a festive function and embody different characters including the chief, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc....
Initiation masks and those of power, the Minganji, represent, in their turn, the ancestors and appear successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural feasts, initiation and Mukanda circumcision rituals, enthronement ..
Note: Our packages are shipped with warranty, insurance, and a receipt.
Note: A certificate of authenticity can be provided upon request.
Seller's Story
I am a professional seller of African art objects, holding a VAT number.
Translated by Google TranslateThis flat, circular mask has a face depicted at its center, surrounded by a wicker border and feathers. Named GITENGA, it was held to the face by the braided raphia mesh fixed to the rear edge. It is a ceremonial mask from the circumcision camp, representing the sun at its rising and setting.
Léon Sousberghe identified two masks: the Minganji, made of plant fibers and associated with male society, and the Mbuya mask, carved in wood and generally linked to the village.
The Pende live on the banks of Kwilu, the influence of neighboring ethnic groups: Mba, Kusu, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salampasu has been imprinted on their tribal art sculpture.
Within this diversity, the realistic Mbuya masks produced every ten years serve a festive function and embody different characters including the chief, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc....
Initiation masks and those of power, the Minganji, represent, in their turn, the ancestors and appear successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural feasts, initiation and Mukanda circumcision rituals, enthronement ..
Note: Our packages are shipped with warranty, insurance, and a receipt.
Note: A certificate of authenticity can be provided upon request.
Seller's Story
I am a professional seller of African art objects, holding a VAT number.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
Gitenga
No. of items
1
Ethnic group/ culture
Pende
Country of Origin
DR Congo
Material
Wood, feather and plant fiber
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Title of artwork
Sun Mask
Height
100 cm
Provenance
Private collection
