Mask - Congo (No reserve price)
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Lwalwa mask from Congo, carved in wood, masculine Mfondo type, 29 cm high by 20 cm wide, in good condition with some wear and age-related marks.
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Description from the seller
Lwalwa, two major categories of masks have been identified:
females, the Mushika or Kashika, distinguishing themselves from others by a very elaborate hairstyle,
and the male masks, of which the Mfondo (or Mvondo) is a part, and which are very similar to the Nkaki.
The Lwalwa masks continue to display strong plastic vitality and remarkable abstraction.
They played an important role in the Bangongo dance of the hunting ritual.
And when the hunters returned, stammering, we calmed the spirits of the ancestors by organizing a dance.
These masks were also used in the rituals of the secret Ngongo society, which was responsible for the initiation and circumcision of the village’s young boys.
The masks
Lwalwa, two major categories of masks have been identified:
females, the Mushika or Kashika, distinguishing themselves from others by a very elaborate hairstyle,
and the male masks, of which the Mfondo (or Mvondo) is a part, and which are very similar to the Nkaki.
The Lwalwa masks continue to display strong plastic vitality and remarkable abstraction.
They played an important role in the Bangongo dance of the hunting ritual.
And when the hunters returned, stammering, we calmed the spirits of the ancestors by organizing a dance.
These masks were also used in the rituals of the secret Ngongo society, which was responsible for the initiation and circumcision of the village’s young boys.
The masks
Details
Era
After 2000
No. of items
1
Material
Wood
Country of Origin
Congo
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Height
29 cm
Width
20 cm
