Zande mask, DRC Atypical mask with a narrow, gracefully... Lot 17

Zande mask, DRC Atypical mask with a narrow, gracefully oblong face, reminiscent of an animal's snout. Zande masks were used during the funeral ceremonies of the Mani society. Satin patina 32 x 17 cm Sold without base Formerly known as the "Niam-Niam" because they were considered anthropophagous, the tribes known as the Zande and Azandé settled on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Sudan and the Central African Republic from Chad. According to their beliefs, man is endowed with two souls, one of which transforms on death into the animal-totem of the clan to which he belongs. The African tribal art of the Zande, or "those who own much land", apart from their court art composed of spoons, receptacles, pipes and harps, includes two types of statues: Kudu statues, between 30 and 50 cm high, represent ancestors. There are also Yanda statues, 10 to 20 cm high, in animal or human form, with an apotropaic role, displayed during divinatory rites by the Mani-Yanda society. The leaders of this association grouped together a dozen statues on an altar in a hut in the forest.