Pende Mbuya Mask, Plank Beard, Bark-Cloth Headdress, Village Rite
Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende peoples, ca. 1900–1960 CE. A carved wood forehead mask worn tilted above the face, presenting one of the character types performed in mbuya masquerades. Three mishita scarification bars incise the domed brow above heavy-lidded, nearly closed eyes, small projecting ears, and a downturned mouth. Below, a long plank-like beard is engraved with rhythmic rows of triangles, pierced along its margins, and washed in alternating dark and pale pigment for a taut geometric cadence. Red, black, and white pigments cover the face, and the mask retains its bundled bark-cloth headdress with traces of embroidered raffia coiffure. Such masks were danced by initiated male performers in village entertainments and initiation-linked festivals, each personifying a recognized social type. Size: 12.5" H (31.8 cm H).
Mbuya masking among the Pende of the Kwilu region belongs to a repertoire of named characters, from the chief (fumu) and the diviner to the flirt, the epileptic, and the lovesick youth, each identifiable by a fixed vocabulary of facial expression, coiffure, and beard. The downcast, heavy-lidded eyes and pointed beard plank recur in the more dignified male types, whose restrained gaze reads as composure rather than sleep. Masks of this kind were danced at initiation closings and village festivals, where the audience judged the performer against the character everyone already knew.
The mishita, the short parallel bars set on the brow, are the sculptural memory of scarification once cut on the living face; on masks they persist as a marker of Pende identity long after the practice itself lapsed.
Provenance: Ex. private California collection; ex. Pierre Dartevelle.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73472
Condition
Tip of nose weathered away. Rich red-brown, black, and white pigments remain well preserved, deposits on interior, and a mellow patina with encrusted deposits on front.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende peoples, ca. 1900–1960 CE. A carved wood forehead mask worn tilted above the face, presenting one of the character types performed in mbuya masquerades. Three mishita scarification bars incise the domed brow above heavy-lidded, nearly closed eyes, small projecting ears, and a downturned mouth. Below, a long plank-like beard is engraved with rhythmic rows of triangles, pierced along its margins, and washed in alternating dark and pale pigment for a taut geometric cadence. Red, black, and white pigments cover the face, and the mask retains its bundled bark-cloth headdress with traces of embroidered raffia coiffure. Such masks were danced by initiated male performers in village entertainments and initiation-linked festivals, each personifying a recognized social type. Size: 12.5" H (31.8 cm H).
Mbuya masking among the Pende of the Kwilu region belongs to a repertoire of named characters, from the chief (fumu) and the diviner to the flirt, the epileptic, and the lovesick youth, each identifiable by a fixed vocabulary of facial expression, coiffure, and beard. The downcast, heavy-lidded eyes and pointed beard plank recur in the more dignified male types, whose restrained gaze reads as composure rather than sleep. Masks of this kind were danced at initiation closings and village festivals, where the audience judged the performer against the character everyone already knew.
The mishita, the short parallel bars set on the brow, are the sculptural memory of scarification once cut on the living face; on masks they persist as a marker of Pende identity long after the practice itself lapsed.
Provenance: Ex. private California collection; ex. Pierre Dartevelle.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73472
Condition
Tip of nose weathered away. Rich red-brown, black, and white pigments remain well preserved, deposits on interior, and a mellow patina with encrusted deposits on front.
Buyer's Premium
30%
