Rare & Powerful Kongo YOMBE Nganga Mask Congo African tribal art 1577

Description

CONGO DRC
Kongo Yombe  Nganga* Diphomba Mask
Very expressive mask, realistic, almond-shaped eyes, half-open mouth with visible cut teeth
These white masks were worn by the Nganga*, they represent the spirits of deceased ancestors
The Yombe are a people of Central Africa, established in Mayombe, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But there are also Yombe in the southwest of the Republic of Congo and in Cabinda (Angola).They belong, as well as the Vili, to the great group of Kongos. (Bakongo)
*
The Nganga is a "magician, a traditional, spiritual healer, a sorcerer"
PROVENANCE:
Ex Franco-Belgian collection of Mr Ph. V.
(More details on request)
Characteristics:
TYPE OF OBJECT:
Mask
ETHNICAL GROUP:
Kongo / Yombe
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Democratic Republic Congo
(ex Zaïre, ex Belgian Congo).
MATERIAL:
Wood
DIMENSIONS:  About 9 1/2
i
nches high
CONDITION:
Medium
Please have a look on pictures.
The base is NOT included.
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Bibliography
- Fleuve Congo,
François NEYT,
Musée du Quai Branly, Fonds Mercator, 2010, pages 311, 312, 313
-
Face of the Spirits; Masks from the Zaire Basin, Frank Herreman, Constantijn Petridis, Ed. Martial & Snoeck, Antwerp, 1993, pages 34 - 38
- Masks in Congo, Viviane Baeke, Baeke, Arthur Bourgeois, Kellim Brown, David Binkley, Rik Ceyssens, Marc Leo Felix, Pol Pierre Gossiaux, Manuel Jordanl, Constantin Petridis, Zoë Stroher, Julien Volper, Pan Yanqin. Edition Marc Leo Felix, 2016
- Arts & Kongos, Marc Leo Felix, Editions Zaïre Basin Art History, 1995