Mask panel · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3049752
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 10 September 2005, Lot 360
Description
wood, colour pigments,
Traditional mask panels known as “kalengula” bear carved faces in the form of “kifwebe” masks.
The mask face superimposed to this board-like panel, on the other hand, reminds of the heads of “nkisi” fetish figures of the Songye. Especially of those with peculiar laughing mouths, as they are located by Neyt in the northern Milembwe, Belande and Eki region (Neyt, 2004, p. 56).
One of these figures was attributed by de Grunne to a “master from Muyemba” (de Grunne, 2001, p. 181, fig. 22).
The present mask panel is decorated with concentric incised lines forming a kind of diadem above the face and two arms with joined hands below, enclosing a stylised “kifwebe” mask face. For an iconographically comparable object, see AHDRC 0041476.
The object Mask panel with the object ID 3049752 was last part of the auction Sale 100 at April 15, 2023 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 84.
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
Neyt, François, Songye, Brussels 2004, p. 56 ff. de Grunne, Bernard, Masterhands, Brussels 2001, p. 181, fig. 22
Publications
AHDRC: 0041475