Mask - Congo (No reserve price)

The art and tradition of the Songye, a community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are among the most emblematic African masks and the easiest for Westerners to recognize. They were traditionally worn by dancers during circumcisions or funerals organized by the secret society Bwadi bwa Kifwebe, highly influential among the Songye.

The Kifwebe are distinguished by their stripes and color variations unique to each mask. Their bulging, half-closed eyes and rectangular mouth are inseparable characteristic features of the Kifwebe. Moreover, these masks show a gender determined by the presence or absence of a naso-frontal crest. On this specimen, the presence of a crest confirms that it is a male mask (masks of this gender are called kilume).