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Ndunga Face Mask

Villi - Republic of Congo

Wood

12" x 8"

Among the Kongo and their culturally related neighbors in the coastal region of the Democratic republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Kabinda, ndunga, masqueraders are still responsible for maintaining order in the community. Dressed in a voluminous costume of banana leaves or feathers, they appear at ritual or political occasions, to attribute conflicts or punish wrongdoers.

This carefully crafted example shows the design elements of the Vili works: an oval face, gently arched, wide-spaced eyebrows, a narrow nose with delicate nostrils, and a slightly open mouth with finely proportioned lips.