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Source Description
Realized in typical Central Pende style, this mask is believed to represent <em>gambanda</em>, the chief's wife. In light of Pende theories about gender and physiognomy, the mask is an ideal expression of a woman's facial features and thus reflects her calm, obedient, peaceful, and self-controlled demeanor. The intricate hairstyle consisting of hundreds of miniature twists imitates a once fashionable hairdo. Pende sculptors inherited their position and often worked on the outskirts of the village so that few could see them at work.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
166209
label
Female Mask (Gambanda or Kambanda)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
166209
contentType
object
title
Female Mask (Gambanda or Kambanda)
description
Realized in typical Central Pende style, this mask is believed to represent <em>gambanda</em>, the chief's wife. In light of Pende theories about gender and physiognomy, the mask is an ideal expression of a woman's facial features and thus reflects her calm, obedient, peaceful, and self-controlled demeanor. The intricate hairstyle consisting of hundreds of miniature twists imitates a once fashionable hairdo. Pende sculptors inherited their position and often worked on the outskirts of the village so that few could see them at work.
date
early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Mask
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 27 x 22 x 28.5 cm (10 5/8 x 8 11/16 x 11 1/4 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende-style maker
accession
2008.15
Source extras
tec
Wood, plant fiber, and colorant
tombstone
Female Mask (Gambanda or Kambanda), early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pende-style maker. Wood, plant fiber, and colorant; overall: 27 x 22 x 28.5 cm (10 5/8 x 8 11/16 x 11 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2008.150
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
This female mask would have performed in a collective multimedia event with audience participation.
citations
citation
Guimiot, Philippe and Lucien Van de Velde. <em>Arts Premiers d'Afrique, Noire</em>. Brussels: Crédit Communal de Belgique, 1977.
page_number
fig. 94
citation
Bastin, Marie-Louise. <em>Introduction aux Arts d'Afrique Noire. </em>Arnouville: Arts d'Afrique Noire (91), 1984.
page_number
fig. 330
citation
Herreman, Frank, Constantijn Petridis, et al. <em>Face of the Spirits: Masks from the Zaire Basin.</em> Gent: Snoeck-Ducaju, 1993.
page_number
fig. 22
citation
de Grunne, M. Bernard. <em>Importarte Vente d'Art Africain Collection: A. et J. P. Jernander. </em>Bruxelles: Droutot-Richelieu, 1996.
page_number
lot 29
citation
Strother, Z. S. <em>Inventing Masks: Agency and History in the Art of the Central Pende</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
page_number
plate 6
citation
Strother, Z. S. <em>Pende: The Experience of Art</em>. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2008.
page_number
plate 24, p. 106
citation
Sotheby's. <em>Cataloguing Preview: Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie. </em>2008.
page_number
lot 47
citation
Sotheby's. <em>Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, d'Asie du Sud-Est: Importantes Collections. </em>2008. Paris: Sotheby's (December 4, 2008).
page_number
pp. 202–203
citation
Petridis, Constantine. "New Acquisitions of African Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art". <em>African Arts</em>. (44) No. 1, Spring 2011. Pg. 65, Fig. 13.
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 34-35
citation
Smith, Fred T., Judith Perani, Joseph L. Underwood, and Martha J. Ehrlich. <em>The Visual Arts of Africa: Gender, Power, and Life Cycle Rituals.</em> Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 275, no. 9.11
creditline
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:34:49.119000
sourceId
166209
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood, plant fiber, and colorant
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0237c588fa192712