Face mask "eluba" or "emangungu" ·  D. R. Congo, Bembe · ID: 3038162

Description

wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, coffee-bean shaped eyes in white oval planes, small tubular mouth, incised decor, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
present “emangungu” mask type is used at circumcision rites by the “butende bwa eluba” society. The eyes should remind on an owl, which is said to have close connections to the spirits of nature. The masks are attached to a costume of banana leaves and bark. They are worn by initiated boys while begging for food in the village during the seclusion period.

Comparing literature

Herreman, Frank & Constantijn Petridis (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p. 184 f.