CONGOLESE PENDE MBANGU DOUBLE SIDED BEWITCHED SICKNESS HELMET This Pende Mbangu helmet mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a rare and striking double-sided variation of a classic mask type that represents the "bewitched" or "the one struck by sickness." Carved from wood with a dark patina, each side of the helmet features a distorted face bisected by a sharp contrast of white kaolin and dark earth pigments, symbolizing the struggle between health and disease or the living and the dead. The features are characteristically asymmetrical, with drooping eyelids, a twisted nose, and an open mouth revealing serrated teeth, intended to depict the physical effects of facial paralysis or epilepsy. Surmounting the helmet is a small, full-bodied human figure in a crouched position, which may represent the ancestral spirit or the source of the affliction. In Pende culture, the Mbangu performer evokes both fear and empathy, using dance to remind the community of the fragile nature of human existence and the importance of spiritual resilience in the face of misfortune. height: 15 inches $200-300
