49
FIG. 1 (PAGE DE GAUCHE) : Masque mbuya représentant un ch ef. Attrib ué à G ab ama a G ingungu.
P ende centraux, RD C. P remier q uart du XX e siè cle, années 192 0. H. : 6 3 cm.
D on de W. Retivof (par l'intermédiaire de P. G olenvaux). I nscrit dans les années 19 30 dans les collections du
MRAC, EO.0.0.32 12 8.
D ans les années 1980, suivant les traces d’O lb rech ts, l’h istorienne de l’art américaine Z. S troth er réussit, durant
ses rech erch es sur le terrain et de nomb reuses interviews d’artistes actuels, à reconstituer la b iograph ie
de plusieurs sculpteurs pende. S ur la b ase de ph otos du masque présenté ici, et grâ ce aux caractéristiq ues
tech niq ues et formelles de l’oeuvre, les artistes pende contemporains qu’elle interviewa y ont formellement
reconnu la main de G ab ama a G ingungu (189 0 ? -1965), q ui l’aurait sculpté dans les années 192 0. P lusieurs
sFulSteurs identi¿ qrent immpdiatement Fette SiqFe Fomme une °uYre de *abama d’aSrqs Fertains dptails
iconographico-stylistiq ues : forme pyramidale du tragus de l’oreille, traitement de la coiffure, nez trè s retroussé
dévoilant de larges narines…
La b iograph ie de cet artiste fameux était encore dans les mémoires des sculpteurs des années 1980, q ui
le considéraient comme le meilleur d’entre tous. G ab ama a G ingungu, né dans la région de N yok a-Munene,
avait appris l’art de sculpter de son oncle Malub a (187 0 ? -19 35), un artiste renommé que G ab ama ne tarda
pas pourtant à dépasser. D e fait, au b out de q uelq ues temps, les danseurs désireux d’acq uérir un masq ue
préféraient les oeuvres de G ab ama à celles de son oncle. E n q uelq ues années, le talent de G ab ama fut
reFonnu sur une bonne Sartie du territoire Sende et les Fommandes affl uqrent. ¬ Sartir des annpes ,
G ab ama développa également un bon systè me de vente itinérante en allant à la rencontre de ses clients
Sotentiels dans diYers Yillages. *abama sFulSta MusTu’à la ¿ n de sa Yie, mais, à Sartir des annpes , il se
concentra surtout sur la confection de petits masq ues pendentifs ikhoko dont la réalisation convenait mieux à
son corps devenu plus faible avec l’â ge.
FIG. 1 (LEFT): Mask, mbuya, representing a ch ief. Attrib uted to G ab ama a G ingungu.
Central P ende, D R Congo. F irst q uarter of th e 2 0th century (lik ely 192 0s). H: 6 3 cm.
D onated b y W. Retivof (via P. G olenvaux). Accessioned by th e RMCA in 19 30, EO.0.0.32 12 8.
Working in the footsteSs of 2lbreFhts, the $meriFan art historian =os Strother, during her ¿ eld researFh and
multiple interviews with work ing artists in th e 19 80s, was ab le to ob tain b iograph ical information for several P ende
sculptors. U sing ph otograph s of th e mask sh own h ere, and also referencing form and tech niq ue, th e P ende artists
th at S troth er interviewed recognized th e h and of G ab ama a G ingungu (c. 189 0– 1965) and said h e would h ave
made the mask in the s. SeYeral sFulStors immediatel\ identi¿ ed this SieFe as the Zork of *abama based on
iconographic and stylistic details, such as th e pyramidal tragus of th e ear, th e coiffure, and th e upturned nose with
large nostrils. Th e sculptors from th e 19 80s still rememb ered th is famous artist and considered h im to h ave b een
the ¿ nest Zorking in the tradition.
G ab ama a G ingungu was born in th e N iok a-Munene region and learned his craft from h is uncle, Malub a
( c. 187 0– 19 35), a renowned artist in h is own righ t wh o was q uick ly outclassed b y h is neph ew. After a wh ile,
dancers preferred to commission their masks from G ab ama th an from Maluba. I n th e course of a few years,
G ab ama’s reputation spread th rough out a large part of th e P ende region and commissions poured in. I n th e 19 30s
h e developed an effective sales strategy
b y traveling th rough villages in th e
region looking for clients. H e remained
active as a sculptor until th e end of
h is life, b ut from th e 195 0s onward
h e concentrated on ikhoko, small
maskettes th at were worn as pendants.
Th ese were easier to craft as h e grew
ph ysically weaker with age.
FIG. 3 (BELOW): Maternity, phe mba, attrib uted to th e Master of
K asadi. Y ombe, Angola/D R Congo. F ourth q uarter of th e 19 th century.
H: 27 cm. Collected b y F r. L. B ittremieux, prob ab ly in th e 19 30s.
Accessioned by th e RMCA in 19 37, EO.0.0.37964.
O lb rech ts’ stylistic-anatomical meth od was adopted by oth er research ers
such as Ez io B assani, wh o was ab le to identify several “Masters of” ( a
term th at is also used for early F lemish or F rench artists wh ose names we
do not know). O ne of th ese is th e Master of K asadi. I n th e early 19 80s, a
corpus of works was attrib uted to th is master sculptor, th ough at th at time
onl\ maternit\ ¿ gures (phe mba), suFh as this examSle, Zere identi¿ ed. The
name Master of K asadi refers to th e village of th at name in th e Mayombe
region, wh ere two of th ese pieces were collected. B efore th is collection
site was known, th e artist was generally referred to as th e Master of th e
de B riey Maternity S tatue, named for th e E uropean owner of one of the
renowned phe mba ¿ gures. %roadl\ sSeaking, sFulStures b\ the 0aster of
K asadi are ch aracteriz ed b y th eir powerful, emaciated faces.