Mask “Ndunga”
Kongo peoples (Woyo subgroup), DR Congo, early 20th c.
Wood, pigments
Ex–old Belgian collection
16” h x 10.5” w (40.6 x 26.8 cm)
Price: $2,800.00
This early–20th century mask has its origins in the ndunga, an all-male secret society found along the Atlantic seaboard of DR Congo and Cabinda province, Angola (formerly Portuguese Congo). According to Herreman (2002: 28) “the ndunga . . . is active as a system of social control. Its role is to protect royalty and the respect for social structure. The masks, also named ndunga, perform, both to entertain, but also to sanction those who transgressed the social rules, during the celebration of religious rituals, and the investiture and funerals of notables and political chiefs.”
