Mask board · D. R. Congo, Shi · ID: 3042901
Description
wood, dark brown patina, kaolin, of concave vaulted form, carved with two mask faces on top of each other, reminding of skulls, pierced around rim, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion.
Present piece looks like a canoe with two stylized heads inside and represents primal ancestors. It reminds of the male/female ancestral plaques of the Nande, Hunde and Kumu. They were placed on an altar in the meeting house and sacrificed to during enthronement rites, and after the death of important clan members.
The object Mask board with the object ID 3042901 was last part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction at November 11, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 456.
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Comparing literature
Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brussels 1987, p. 157, ill. 5