This fiber and feather mask, of the type known as "Gitenga Minganji," was worn during initiations of Pende males into Mukanda, an organization governed exclusively by men. However, a man's passage into adulthood ultimately depended on the blessings of women and female ancestors. The Pende are matrilineal, and men had to be able to accurately recite the names of their maternal ancestors to hold official titles. The feathers in this mask comes from the Central African great blue turaco, the largest of all turaco species. Find this work in gallery 401 of the Stent Family Wing. Pende Artist (Western), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mask, Late nineteenth–early twentieth century, Great blue turaco feathers, fiber, and wood.