The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 21, 2026

Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)

before 1958

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

(Pende people)
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende-style maker
wood, pigment, fabric, fiber, ram's hair
25 x 20 x 25 cm (9 13/16 x 7 7/8 x 9 13/16 in.)
Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2025.136
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.
  • at least 1958–2008
    Denise [and Jacques?] Schwob (1916–2008), Brussels, Belgium
    2008–2015
    By Descent to Private Collector
    2015
    (Christie's Art d'Afrique, d’Océanie, et d’Amérique du Nord. Paris, 23 June 2015, lot 77).
    2015–
    (Donald Morris Gallery, USA)
  • African Master Carvers: Known and Famous. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-July 16, 2017).
    L'Art au Congo, Exposition Universelle et Internationale. Palais du Heysel, Brussels (April 16–October 19, 1958).
  • {{cite web|title=Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)|url=false|author=Kiyova of Luaya Ndambo, Democratic Republic of the Congo|year=before 1958|access-date=21 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.136