Ngbandi or Ngbaka Mask, Ubangi Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Robert Jacobsen, Copenhagen and Paris, by 1973
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels
Private American collects ion, acquired from the above

Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, African Art - A Source of Inspiration for Modern Art, March 22 - May 19, 1986

Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler, African Art in Private German collects ions, Munich, 1973, p. 332, no. 477
Georg Oddner, Afrikanskt - Inspirationskälla för den moderna konsten, Malmö, 1986, p. 143, cat. 199

Very good condition for an object of this rare type and age. Minor worming throughout. Marks, nicks, scratches, and abrasions from age and use. Vertical hole through dome of head. Very minor surface cracks. Horizontal row of narrow vertical slits around the level of the brow. Chip to edge of proper right ear. Some shallow drill holes in top of interior from previous mounting. Two drill holes in top edge of reverse. Holes in lips for insertion of teeth, now lacking except for two tiny remnants of vegetal material. Scratches around holes for attachment on reverse. Exceptionally fine aged blackened patina with well-preserved crust of kaolin.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any stat.mes nt made by Replica Shoes 's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present mask relates to those of the Ngbaka and the Mbanza of the Ubangi region of the present day Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its Kaolin-whitened round concave eyes with horizontal slit openings, notched bridge of the nose, small, narrow mouth, and whitened etched linear decorations.  See Grootaers (2007: 168-171) for several examples.  Interestingly, it relates even more closely with two impressive masks of uncertain origin (op. cit.: 60, fig. 1.68 and 62-63, fig. 1.70), which have been tentatively attributed to the neighboring Ngbandi.  Grootaers (61) notes: "Not many masks have been attributed to the Ngbandi; in his overview of sculpture in the Ngbandi style, art historian Herman Burssens reproduced only three specimens [...] One of these [1.68] was collects ed around the little town of Monga, an area inhabited by Ngabndi-Dendi, Nzakara and Zande people, and it has been suggested that the mask may have served in the dances of the closed Mani-Yanda association [... C]ollected by Anton Greshoff in around 1888, [the mask] has a contradictory provenance (Lower or Upper Mongala River), which renders its Ngbandi origin quite uncertain. Nonetheless the Greshoff specimen served as a model to identify one of the most striking northern Congo masks as Ngbandi (fig. 1.70).  Whether the latter is indeed Ngbandi remains an open question."

Close similarities can also be seen in the faces of Ngbaka figures, for example one collects ed by Perlo in 1912 (op. cit.: 126, fig. 322). Although the permeablity of Ubangian styles renders it difficult to pinpoint a specific origin for this impressive mask, it is certainly among the finest examples of the rare masks of the Northern Congo region.  Particularly intriguing are the high arched ears, which give the face a zoomorphic appearance.