Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mask

Pende artist

Date

late 19th–early 20th century

Medium

Wood, plant fibers, pigment

Culture

Pende

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Most masks of the Pende people have specific names that reveal their gender, meaning and function. However, it is rarely possible to identify a Pende mask without seeing the accompanying dress and dance. At first glance, the facial characteristics of this mask look female, expressing ideals of placidity and self-control. Yet men also share these qualities, and with its bulging, lumpy forehead, this mask most likely embodies a male. Traditionally, it is not uncommon for Pende masks to combine male and female traits. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

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