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Yombe Female Mask

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Collection: African Art Collection
Description: This rare 1970 female face mask carved from a single piece of wood has exquisite features and detail. The mask is a combination of realism and abstraction. The face is painted white while the pointed nose and mouth are painted black. The hair and ears are also black. The carving is in excellent condition.
General Note: GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP Democratic Republic of Congo, Yombe. The Yombe are forest people who live along the Zaire River in the Congo. The Yombe migrated to the Congo from what is current day Gabon and Cameroon. The Yombe masks to this day resemble masks carved by craftsmen in Cameroon. The Yombe are among the more artistic people in central Africa. Agriculture also plays an important role in Yombe communities where men clear and till the land and women do all the remaining work. The Yombe worship the god Ngoma Bunzi, who can only be contacted through the river spirits.
Artists/Makers: Yombe Democratic Republic of Congo Read Biography

Yombe

GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP Democratic Republic of Congo, Yombe. The Yombe are forest people who live along the Zaire River in the Congo. The Yombe migrated to the Congo from what is current day Gabon and Cameroon. The Yombe masks to this day resemble masks carved by craftsmen in Cameroon. The Yombe are among the more artistic people in central Africa. Agriculture also plays an important role in Yombe communities where men clear and till the land and women do all the remaining work. The Yombe worship the god Ngoma Bunzi, who can only be contacted through the river spirits.
Student Work: No
Culture: Yombe
Geography: Democratic Republic of Congo
Medium: Wood and pigments
Classification: Mask
Accession Number: 2022.01.059
Accession Date: May 2022
Donated By: Reginald and Celeste Hodges
Donation Date: May 2022