Mask "kifwebe" with horns · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3032245
sold
EUR 2,500
Provenance
Hans Hess, Basel, Switzerland (1971)Eduard Hess, Basel, Switzerland
Size
H: 43 cm
H: 16.9 inch
Description
wood, darkbrown patina, red and white pigment, typical form with forehead-/nose crest and tubular mouth, grooved decor in some areas, slightly dam., missing parts, strong traces of insect caused damage on the back, indigenous repair (chin), rep. (nose);
very old and very rare !
in the course of time the typical “kifwebe” mask type was diversified. Some obvious animal references were added to the classic rectangular box-shape. Some had horns curving downward for a ram, or upward for an antelope, or backward for a goat. Some had large ears flanking the forehead as a jackal. Present mask reminds of a buffalo.
Comparing literature
Felix, Marc L., Beauty and the beasts, New Jersey 2003, p. 71 f.