Masque
R. D. Congo, Salampasu
n'est plus disponible
Provenance
Ben Hirsch, Maastricht, The NetherlandsTaille
H: ca. 50 cm (with beard)
H: ca. 19.7 inch (with beard)
Description
raffia (“mufuampo”),
Traditionally, masks of the Salampasu belong to a broad range of male societies and associated initiation sub-societies.
Most often masks are related to the so-called warriors society “mu(n)gongo”, which served mainly to protect the Salampasu agianst invasions from rival clans or other external forces.
To become a member of “mu(n)gongo”, Salampasu boys must be circumcised and pass through its various initiation sub-societies. Each initiation sub-society has an associated mask type which the boys gain access to upon completing the initiation level and paying an initiation fee.