Mask (idangani) / Artist Unknown, African, Sala Mpasu Peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo

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About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number
1983/2.184
Title
Mask (idangani)
Artist Nationality
Congolese
Medium and Support
dyed fiber, raffia
Object Creation Date
circa 1900-1983
Object Creation Place
Africa (continent)
Congo Republic (nation)
Creation Place 1
Africa (continent)
Creation Place 2
Congo Republic (nation)
Dimensions
68.5 cm x 28.2 cm x 32 cm (26 15/16 in. x 11 1/8 in. x 12 5/8 in.)
Century
20th century
Primary Object Classification
Costume and Costume Accessory
Primary Object Type
mask
Physical Description
Mask is made entirely of blackish-brown dyed and molded raffia fiber; face has bulging forehead, deeo set narrow eyes, bulbous nose, and raffia “beard.” Top of head has cone-like crest of small fiber knots.
Subject Matter
In pre-colonial Sala Mpasu society authority was vested in members of the Matambu warriors’ society who could secure the rights to wear an array of important masks. The most prestigious of these were the idangani, made entirely of woven fiber. These masks represented a husband and wife pair. This mask is female, identified by small fiber knobs that recall a popular woman’s hairstyle.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
965 x 1409
File Size
83 KB
Record
1983/2.184
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1983-sl-2.184/1983_2.184.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1983-SL-2.184:1983_2.184.JPG

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"Mask (idangani); Artist Unknown, African, Sala Mpasu Peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1983-sl-2.184/1983_2.184.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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