Mask "kifwebe", male type "kilume" · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3032232
Eduard Hess, Oberwil, Switzerland
Description
wood, polychrome paint, animal hair, of elongated form, entirely coated with concentrical grooves, accentuated by red, white and black pigment rubbed into the deepenings, pierced around the rim, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage and abrasion;
the “kifwebe” masks embody a spirit being and belong to an association which bears the same name “bwadi ka bifwebe”. The mask is supplemented by a plaited costume and a long beard of raffia fiber. It used to appear at various ceremonies, with the function of a security force or for warding off enemies in case of war.
The object Mask “kifwebe”, male type “kilume” with the object ID 3032232 was last part of the auction 75th tribal art auction at November 30, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 142 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,500.
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.