Pendant: Mask (Gikhokho)
Not on view
The Central Pende replicate masks in miniature form. Wooden versions produced by healing specialists are prescribed by diviners as remedies. In contrast, their ivory counterparts, gikhokho, are made by professional sculptors to be worn as decorative pendants. While its texture and resistance to cracking make elephant ivory the material of choice, the thighbones of hippopotamuses allow artists to achieve comparable effects. Bodily contact through wear alters the whiteness of the pendants. Although this effect is prized by Western collectors, the Pende themselves scrub the ornament's surface daily with water and abrasive sand, which blurs the features over time.
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