Mask - Congo (No reserve price)

This remarkable polychrome wooden mask stylistically fits the repertoire of the Kuba of the Kasaï, and more precisely the tradition of Ngaady a Mwaash female masks. This attribution rests in particular on the oval face, the eyes stretched almost closed, and above all on the very rich graphic organization in red, black and white. The alternating triangular compositions on the forehead find direct correspondences in documented Ngaady a Mwaash examples; the long vertical lines that descend under the eyes evoke the byoosh’dy, motifs interpreted in the literature as tears. In the royal Kuba tradition, Ngaady a Mwaash is an idealized female figure linked to the founding story of Woot. She may appear as his sister and wife and participates, with other masked figures, in performances associated with public ceremonies, initiations and funerals.