Forehead mask (mbuya type)

The facial features of this mask—bulging forehead, arched brows, angular hooded eyes, turned-up nose, and mouth that rises in the middle at an acute angle—offer clues to its identity. Without its complete costume it is impossible to be sure, but these clues suggest that this is a “hyper-male” called Pota, one of the oldest mbuyu mask types. Its face is meant to terrify and hypnotize.

Mbuyu masks appear in public masquerades and represent a variety of characters, such as the clown, the hunter, the judge, the chief, the chief’s wife, the diviner, and the woman who flirts, among others. Each character has a distinct costume and accessories and its own dance steps and drumming rhythms. Mbuyu masquerades teach the Pende which behaviors to emulate and which ones to avoid. In a society that values peace and moderation, Pota is not a good role model.