Helmet mask "hemba" ·  D. R. Congo, Suku · ID: 3034870

Description

wood, greyish brown patina, small remains of indigo blue and white pigment, crowned by a separate carved bird sculpture attached by cord, the smoothened facial plane heart-shaped deepened, abundant grass fibre cuff at the lower rim, the chin plug inscribed at the bottom: “FC4316”, dam., minor missing parts (birds beak), paint rubbed off, missing part through insect caused damage on the left side of the head;
mask type known as “hemba”, which is spread all over the Suku area and which was used at initiation rites for young boys.

The object Helmet mask “hemba” with the object ID 3034870 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 428.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Bourgeois, Arthur P., Art of the Yaka and Suku, Paris 1984, p. 155, ill. 145