Face mask "ngaady a mwaash" ·  R. D. Congo, Kuba · ID: 3034361

Description

light brown wood, polychrome paint, glass beads, the whole facial plane painted with geometrical patterns, bonnet of raffia fibre and cloth, embroidered with cowrie snails and glass beads, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
“ngaady a mwaash” represents the sister and wife of “woot”, the progenitor of the Bushong. It is one of the three most important mask figures of the Bushong, belonged to the royal family and was used for public ceremonies or during initiation rites for young boys.