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”.
The object Anthropomorphic face mask “kibwabwabwa” with the object ID 3032964 was last part of the auction 69th tribal art auction at June 2, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 419.
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Comparing literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 275