Woyo (Bahoyo, Bawoyo, Ngoyo), Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cabinda

Ndunga dance mask. The small Woyo people live on the Atlantic Ocean coast, north of the estuary of the Zaire River. The Woyo possess a form of writing that has not yet been studied. A special application of this writing occurs in their “proverb covers,” the lids of their realistically carved wooden “storied pots.” Woyo sculpture shows the influence of their Kongo neighbors, while remaining stylistically distinct. Their sculpture includes masks of the ndunga, a male society whose dances mark particular occasions including installations of tribal elders, funerals, celebrations, or the presence of great danger. These masks are worn with voluminous costumes of dried banana leaves that fully cover the dancers’ body. As a general rule, the masks are polychrome.

Material:  wood

Size: H. 15½”, W. 8½”, D. 5”

Price: $180+$19 (S&H)                                            [#Y9W9M984]