Head "kebe kebe"
D. R. Congo, Kuyu
not available anymore
Provenance
Jean-Pierre Jernander, Brussels, BelgiumBernard Dulon, Paris, France
Sulaiman Diane, New York, USA (1997)
Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois, Paris, France (2015)
Size
H: 45 cm
H: 17.7 inch
Description
wood, decoration tags (brass), base
This head sculptures were used for a dance bearing the same name “kebe kebe”, which occurs at the end of initiation periods of young boys. The head sculptures were attached to staffs, which the dancers held high above their heads.
Kebe-kebe puppets depict various characters associated with this dance. One of the major characters is “ebongo”, the serpent god of the Kuyu people, who gives birth to the primordial couple.
Publications
AHDRC: 0013317