"Kifwebe" mask "kikashi" (female type) · D. R. Congo, Songye / Luba · ID: 3049634
Bernhard Jäger, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
Description
wood, kaolin, green and red pigment, signature “Kankenza Seigneur” incised on reverse, original repair, base
“Kifwebe” masks were the property of the “bwadi bwa kifwebe” male society, who relied on the ideology of witchcraft (“buchi”) and sorcery (“masende”) to sustain their rule.
To harness the powers of “buchi” and “masende”, “kifwebe” masks are danced. It was believed that the power of the masks would give their wearers supernatural powers and abilities.
Female masks are more closely related to the physical world and reproduction, and their movements are calmer and more controlled. They must activate the benevolent spirits which contribute to the birth of the coming generation. They watch over the cyclic course of things, assuring continuity and smooth transitions.
Comparing literature
Hersak, Dunja, "The Kifwebe Masking Phenomenon, in : Herreman, F. & C. Petridis (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p. 145 ff.