Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)

before 1958

attributed to Kiyova of Luaya Ndambo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

(Pende people)

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende style

Medium

wood, pigment, fabric, fiber, ram's hair

Measurements

25 x 20 x 25 cm (9 13/16 x 7 7/8 x 9 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2025.136

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

This mask is equipped with a knotted rope threaded through the teeth, which a masker would have bit down on to hold the mask against his forehead.

Description

Carved by Kiyova of Luaya-Ndambo, this is an iconic example of a central African mask. With bold sculpted lines, abstracted facial features, and vivid red and white pigment framed by fur and fiber, this mask was likely not danced. This does not make it “inauthentic”; to the contrary, the best masks were often diverted directly to the market where they could be sold to Pende or foreign consumers. Pende mask makers—and their audiences—craved innovation, leading artists to constantly create new mask genres and retire passé models.