Mask (Mfondo)

Unknown

19th–20th century · Wood, hide, pigment · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Compared to the neighboring Luluwa peoples, Lwalu artists produced masks that reflect a dramatically different style. Facial representations are composed of purely geometric elements, sharply angled planes and smooth unadorned surfaces. Mask forms are distinguished from one another through the prominent noses that were inspired by the beaks of different birds. These masks were worn at dances to celebrate the circumcision and initiation of young men into the Ngongo society and to appease the spirits that control hunting.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th–20th century

Medium

Wood, hide, pigment

Culture

Lwalwa (or Lwalu) peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979