A Ngbaka mask, Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ngbaka or Mbaka are a small ethnic group of roughly 300,000 people. This mask is captivating in both its artistry and presence. A short and rounded forehead leads into long and concave orbital plane with small holes for the eyes. The round mouth and jawline features an open solemn mouth with bared teeth. Short lengths of wood have been inserted into the mask to create scarification marks around the brow, down the length of the nose, and down the chin. Mask height 24 cm, width 14.5 cm, depth 8.5 cm, on stand height 34 cm. Provenance: Lim-Strutt collection, Aotearoa. Previously of the Zoumana Traore collection, New York