The arresting colors of these three masks—intense red with accents of black and white—would have been refreshed before each of its performances. Here, the trinity of colors suggests ideas of beauty, health, and gender among central Pende populations of Congo. Pende use redwood paste as a cosmetic to tone and lubricate the skin. On a mask, red conjures the healing and pleasing properties of the redwood cosmetic. Red may also be associated with masculinity, for men’s eyes can go red with drink. We do not know the specific identity of any of these three masks, for Pende identify their masked characters less by color or form than by dance steps and costume. Therefore, the character could only be known in context. Nevertheless, the inclusion of the beard-like chin extension on two of the masks most likely refers to the powers of the ancestors.