Mask late 19th-early 20th century

This mask was carved by an artist of the Pende people, from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can see from the fairly regular marks across the mask that its form was achieved through careful, controlled adze work, a process of hand-hewing with a specialized axe. The dense wood has been worked down to a relatively thin shell, which would make it easier to wear during masquerade. Note the staining of the surface; it is likely that this patina resulted from many applications of palm oil, which would both protect the carved surface, and ritually charge the mask. This is more than a representation; it is a hand-built cultural artifact, an object brought into being through the vision and skill of an individual. Approaching the mask in this way – as a nexus of materials, techniques, and social context – is essential to appreciating its full significance.