“nganga Ngombo” Mask, Pende People, Drc

A face mask depicting a face covered in yellow pigment. The brow ridges form a heart shape with the lower part of the face. The half-closed eyes gaze downwards. A thin, upturned nose sits above an open mouth, revealing teeth. Attachment holes are present on the chin. The upper part of the face is composed of a large, domed forehead with a vertical scarification that connects to the bridge of the nose. The mask is surmounted by a braided raffia headdress from which raffia braids descend.
This type of mask, rather rare in the Pende corpus, is called "Nganga Ngombo." It represents the diviner-healer. There are two variations, one male and one female; this one corresponds to the female model. Its distinctive feature lies in its superb yellow color, obtained from natural pigments. Yellow is often associated with heat and the sun; it symbolizes energy, life, and growth. This color is not insignificant: it reinforces the healer's identity, a bearer of light, capable of restoring balance and dispelling the dark forces responsible for illness.
Wood, pigments, raffia.
Height: 31 cm (40 cm with the headdress).
Pende people, DRC. Mid-20th century.
Provenance: Formerly in a Belgian collection,
formerly in the collection of Jean-Marc Desaive (1960-2023), Belgium.