Anthropomorphic face mask "kibwabwabwa" ·  D. R. Congo, Mbagani · ID: 3032964

Description

wood, brown patina, kaolin, indigoblue pigment, drop-shaped face with protruding chin, the eyezone accentuated with white and blue pigments, pierced around the rim, min. dam., minor missing parts through insect caused damage, slight traces of abrasion;
the Binji, also called Mbagani, are neighbours of the Lwalu people, the Kete and the Kongo-Dinga peoples. The Mbagani masks are associated with practices of the “mukanda” society. The present mask probably takes the name “kibwabwabwa”. According to Francois Neyt, the striking white eye sockets symbolize the presence of the ancestor spirits. Masked dancers perform during times of crisis pursuant to unsuccessful hunts, or general sterility among the women. The “kibwabwabwa” dancer is accompanied by a masked “girl”, called “gashiga” and by an unmasked figure named “gabamba”.

Comparing literature

Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 275