Kifwebe - Songye - DR Congo (No reserve price)





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Masque Kifwebe masculin of the Songye people from the Democratic Republic of Congo, dating to the early 20th century, carved in wood with pigments and plant fibres, standing 50 cm high by 18 cm wide by 27 cm deep, sold with its stand, in good condition, authenticity original.
Description from the seller
Male Kifwebe mask – Songye, DRC. Important male Kifwebe mask (kilume) of the Songye, characterized by a spectacular sagittal crest and a long tubular mouth projecting forward.
The face shows a remarkable ancient polychromy organized into broad geometric bands and chevrons, a variant less common than the Kifwebe with fine striations. The narrow eyes, deeply carved beneath the brows, reinforce the overall expressive power.
The mask retains a substantial portion of its original fiber adornment, fixed by the peripheral perforations, including a long braided appendage hanging at the back. There are also hairs under the nose. Wear, pigment loss and patina are consistent with the object's age and use.
Provenance: former collection of Jean Lecluse, a collector and author specializing in African pipes.
Songye, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
First half of the 20th century.
Wood, pigments and plant fibers.
Height: 50 cm – Width: 18 cm.
An especially expressive and complete Kifwebe, remarkable for its large crest, its unusual polychromy, and above all for the preservation of its substantial fiber apparatus.
Male Kifwebe mask – Songye, DRC. Important male Kifwebe mask (kilume) of the Songye, characterized by a spectacular sagittal crest and a long tubular mouth projecting forward.
The face shows a remarkable ancient polychromy organized into broad geometric bands and chevrons, a variant less common than the Kifwebe with fine striations. The narrow eyes, deeply carved beneath the brows, reinforce the overall expressive power.
The mask retains a substantial portion of its original fiber adornment, fixed by the peripheral perforations, including a long braided appendage hanging at the back. There are also hairs under the nose. Wear, pigment loss and patina are consistent with the object's age and use.
Provenance: former collection of Jean Lecluse, a collector and author specializing in African pipes.
Songye, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
First half of the 20th century.
Wood, pigments and plant fibers.
Height: 50 cm – Width: 18 cm.
An especially expressive and complete Kifwebe, remarkable for its large crest, its unusual polychromy, and above all for the preservation of its substantial fiber apparatus.

