Artwork Page for Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)

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Details / Information for Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)

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 maker
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
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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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.
Placeholder image

Mask (munyangi or kindjinga)

before 1958

Kiyova of Luaya Ndambo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

(Pende people)
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende-style maker

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