The Woyo reside near the mouth of the Congo river, in western Congo and in the western part of the enclave of Cabinda in Angola. Their masks represent ‘earth spirits’, the most important spirits in the Woyo’s religious belief. The masks, called ‘ndunga’, are owned by the ‘Bakama’ secret society. With their performances, the ‘ndunga masks’ consolidate the power and authority of the ‘earth spirits’ and – as a sort of ‘police’ – guarantee the stability of the social order. The present, stylistically perfect and unusually naturalistic ‘ndunga mask’ of the Woyo is made of lightweight, light-coloured wood and is visibly very old. It shows remains of white colouring on the edges of the facial surfaces, black on the scarification marks on the forehead and cheeks, on the nose and on the outlined, narrow eyes, as well as red colouring on the mouth, teeth, ears and at the base of the nose. Both the back and the inside of the mask confirm the extraordinary old age of this item, characterised by heavy shiny patina as a result of protracted use, and visible age-related damage to the upper back rim, the right side as well as the left ear. A small hole on the left side of the forehead (old insect damage). Between the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; H: 25 cm. (ME)

Provenance: French private collection.

Lit.: ‘Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture’ by K.-F. Schädler, ill. p. 614.