Pende Mask Lot n° 42

D.R. Congo Wood, fibers, fabric, and pigments 33 cm Provenance: Binoche et Giquello, Paris, 10 December 2014, lot 15 Private collection, Brussels A similar Phota (or Pota) mask from the same workshop, collected in the early 20th C., is published in “L’Art Pende” by Léon de Sousberghe (Académie Royale de Belgique, Brussels, 1959), illustrated under n°32. Both the formal composition of the face and the way the hairdo is made are similar to the mask presented here. This type of mask was not used as a face mask but was worn on top of the dancer’s head, like a visor. Photas played an essential role during the mukanda initiation rites.