Mbuya village masks were used to entertain and highlight a number of characters and roles in Pende society. This
mask depicts a wise old man, or perhaps an important ancestor with
a long beard. It was worn tilted above the forehead. The dances and
songs that accompanied this mask refered to the hunt. The farming
cycle was paired to collective hunts, and the sowing of millet
provided an occasion for the mask’s performance. It danced on the
border between the village and bush, and its function was to assure
the sunrise.
Mask itself is 11 /2" in height.
On its 4 ¾" square wooden base is stands 16" in height.
