Male face mask "shifola" ·  D. R. Congo, Lwalwa / Lualwa · ID: 3046622

Description

wood, colour pigments, base

The main works of the Lwalwa are their wooden masks. According to M. L. Felix, there are four main types, the male masks “shifola”, “nkaki” and “mvondo” and the female mask “mushika”. They are usually painted with the red sap of the “mukala” fruit and occasionally blackened by smoke or dyes.

They are all used in the “bangongo” dance to quiet the spirits, increase hunting success, and initiate “bangongo” society dancers. They sometimes perform at funerals of high ranking dignitaries.

The object Male face mask “shifola” with the object ID 3046622 was last part of the auction 94th Tribal Art Auction at March 7, 2020 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 329.

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

Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brussels 1987, p. 94 f.