Shield-shaped panel "kalengula" with "kifwebe" mask · D. R. Congo, Songye · ID: 3052049
Description
wood, pigments, collection label “3/5”
In his treatise on Songye sculpture, Mestach reports on a panel with a carved “kifwebe” mask from the Kabalo region in the Kinshasa museum. It is designated as the guardian of the mask house (“kiobo”) and bears the
inscription “kalengula” - “mask that does not dance”.
The object Shield-shaped panel “kalengula” with “kifwebe” mask with the object ID 3052049 was part of the auction Collectors’ Items Sale on September 24, 2025, lot number 294 at that time and is currently available for EUR 500 in Open sale.
You can find more Masks, Shields and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Mestach, Jean Willy, Songye Studien, München 1985, p. 63