Pende people

Pende people
Pende mask in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin
Total population
c. 250,000
Languages
Giphende
Kipoko mask, Eastern Pende, West Kasai, Congo. On display at Cantor Art Center, Stanford.
Stool with "Caryatid" Figures. Brooklyn Museum 22.1389
Ivory miniature carved in the form of a mask. Tropenmuseum.

The Pende people (singular: Mupende; plural: Bapende, Bapindi) also known as the Phende people, are an ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Pende are divided into two cultural groups: the Eastern Pende and the Western Pende who are distinct but consider themselves part of the same ethnic group. The number of people who consider themselves to be ethnically Pende is estimated at over 250,000.[1]

The Pende speak their own language (Kipende, kipindi) and are particularly known for their artistic works. They are considered to be culturally similar to the Yaka and Suku peoples who live in neighboring areas.[1]

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