Anthropomorphic face mask "kifwebe" · R. D. Congo, Luba · ID: 3033254
Vendu
3 600 €
Provenance
Paul Timmermans, Diepenbeek, BelgiumRené David, Zurich, Switzerland (1965)
Harald & Ursula Suhr, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Germany (1979)
Description
wood, red, white and black paint, of hollowed round form, narrow slit eyes, entirely coated with curved concentric grooves, pierced around the rim, min. dam., minor missing parts, fissures, traces of abrasion;
such masks are said to be incarnations of bizarre heterogenic beings. The grooves symbolize animals with striped skin, like porcupines, zebras or antelopes. The round masks were especially danced at funerals of important persons.
Littérature comparée
Herreman, Frank, Petridis, Constantijn (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p.158, ill. 76