Cleveland Museum of Art

Female Mask (Gambanda or Kambanda)

Date

early 1900s

Medium

Wood, plant fiber, and colorant

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Realized in typical Central Pende style, this mask is believed to represent gambanda , the chief's wife. In light of Pende theories about gender and physiognomy, the mask is an ideal expression of a woman's facial features and thus reflects her calm, obedient, peaceful, and self-controlled demeanor. The intricate hairstyle consisting of hundreds of miniature twists imitates a once fashionable hairdo. This female mask would have performed in a collective multimedia event with audience participation.

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