Bayaka del Norte - R.D. Congo

The face of this mask, completely whitewashed except for a few blue strokes around
the eyes, ears and mouth, is reminiscent of the white masks of Ogoue in Gabon.
The mask, taking into account African colour symbolism, represents the spirit of
a returned deceased, a rare theme in Yaka masks. As for the face of the mask, below
a narrow forehead (framed laterally and superiorly by a slightly curved and simple hairline),
from the eye sockets (in the shape of an elongated V that occupies the entire width of the
face), there is a large nose with wide, pierced nostrils (the nose and line of the
eye sockets together are shaped like a fleur-de-lis). The eyes, in relief, almond-shaped, are not pierced and the pupils are marked by a slight depression inside the almond-shaped edge; the mouth, in the shape of an elongated heart, is open showing the teeth, well drawn, with the two upper central incisors filed
in the shape of an inverted V; the chin is rounded with a sharp edge; the ears are two
wide plates in strong relief. The overall impression is one of introversion and amazement in a totally expressionist style. The superstructure consists of an elongated vertical cone passing through two horizontal discs (the antennae are missing); the collar, wide and very long, is not made of raffia but of much thicker vegetable fibres, dark brown in colour.

Provenance: Berthe Hartert Collection
Argiles Collection, Barcelona