Female mask "La belle Madeleine" · D. R. Congo, Songe/Zela · ID: 3035853
not available anymore
Provenance
Eduard Hess, Oberwil, SwitzerlandAntonio Fiacco, Fehraltorf/Zurich, Switzerland
Size
H: 34 cm
H: 13.4 inch
Description
light wood, whitened with kaolin, black accents, large face, ornamentally arranged coiffure and facial features (hair in herringbone pattern), semi-circular tattoos on the cheeks, curved ear conches with drilled holes for ornament, drilled holes around the rim, slightly dam. (nose), traces of insect caused damage (backside, chin projection), abrasion of paint, base;
with many ethnic groups female masks are said to dance in conjunction with animal masks. This is true among the neighbouring Tabwa/Rungu, among the Chokwe and Lunda, as well as among the Luba/Hemba where we find the combination of ideal female mask and buffalo mask.
Comparing literature
Felix, Marc L., Beauty and the beasts, Brussels 2003, p. 98 f.