Congo - Pende Statue

Congo
Pende Statue
Accompanied by its certificate of authenticity
Circa 1960
Dimensions: 47 x 14 cm / 2,840 kg
Wood
Optional pedestal (contact us)

Male anthropomorphic Pende ancestral statue, its face composed of the famous Pende giphogo kipoko oriental helmet mask, equipped with a tubular nose in the center of wide orbits, small ears and a chin strap with geometric patterns.

The character stands with his bulging belly, which he supports with his large hands on a small circular base. This enhancement of the abdomen is recurrent in African statues, symbolizing heredity, lineage and knowledge.
His body is decorated with an alternation of stripes produced with white and light red pigments, a reminder of the colours present on the mask.

We usually distinguish between the Pende from the Center, those from the East (Kasai) or even from the West (Kwilu). There is a large variety of Pende statues and masks (at least sixty) - often anthropomorphic but sometimes zoomorphic.

The style of Western Pende, that of the kwilu, is characterized by mbuya masks with heavy eyelids, a continuous monobrows, a bulging forehead, turned up nose and drooping mouth. These masks depict the various personalities of the villagers. There are twenty of them in this category. Some important mbuya masks occur during healing rituals. In Pende, artists are recognized being mysteriously gifted. They thus enjoy a high social status. The kiwoyo of West Pende, from the region of katundu, is the mask known as the "victorious hunter". It is characterized by a decorated extension on the base of the chin. Pende masks are used during the closing ceremonies of the initiation schools. Twenty masked characters represent heroes, animals and the village figurehead. They dance one by one, out of the sight of women.