Title: 'Kifwebe' Mask
Material: Wood, Pigment, Natural Fibers
People: Songye
Country: D.R. Congo
Description: Masks of the Bwandi Bwa Kifwebe Society aid its leaders in
the exercise of economic and political power by evoking the
help of supernatural forces. Songye masks are distinguished
by rows of grooves on the mask face, representing the subterranean
region from which the primordial couple emerged.
The masks depict either a male or female spirit. Female
masks are predominantly white or have retained the color of
the wood; male masks usually incorporate the color red. Male
masks have an upstanding comb which extends over the head
into the nose. In contrast, female masks have only a small crest,
& stripes which are closer together.
Dimensions: 25" high by 8" wide by 7" deep
Includes custom made stand
Provenance: Ex-Private Collection. Collected about 50 years ago by a Belgian living in the D.R. Congo.
#PC11
