Mask "kifwebe" · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3046086
Description
wood, plant fibre, base
This variant of a “kifwebe” mask of narrow form and with a broad striped pattern in black, white and red, is located by Marc Leo Felix to the eastern Songe, which live along the Lualaba river.
“Kifwebe” masks basically depict supernatural beings, such as ancestor spirits “katotoshi” visiting their descendants. They belong to an association which bears the same name, “bwadi ka bifwebe”.
The object Mask “kifwebe” with the object ID 3046086 was last part of the auction 93rd Tribal Art Auction at November 16, 2019 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 313.
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., Beauty and the beasts, Brussels 2003, p. 43, ill. 24a