Mask ·  D. R. Congo, Zombo · ID: 3041456

Description

wood, matt patina, polychrome paint,

The initiation rites, also called “nlongo” or “nzo longo”, began with the circumcision of the boys (between 20 and 50 in number and aged between eight and fifteen). After the wounds had healed, the masks were carved and each of the initiates received one.

In the isolation of the remote bush camp, the initiates learned the moral values and social structures that apply in the community and were introduced to the religious world. This life in seclusion could last one to two years.

During this time, the young men were only allowed to show themselves to their families hidden behind their masks. They performed mask dances for which they received money and other gifts from the villagers in return. The dances probably took place towards the end of the seclusion period, when the young men finally left the camp to tour the surrounding villages.