A Lulua mask collected in Maniema, DR Congo, with an agape mouth, dark lines and raffia as a beard. Signs of ritual use and age. Incl stand. Lulua masks form a comparatively limited but culturally meaningful component of the artistic traditions of the Lulua people of south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the Lulua are more widely recognized in art historical literature for their figural sculpture, particularly female ancestor figures marked by elaborate scarification, masks played a more specialized role within ritual and social contexts. Their relative rarity reflects the broader Lulua emphasis on sculptural forms associated with lineage, fertility, and moral ideals rather than on extensive masking systems. When employed, Lulua masks were primarily associated with initiation rites and social regulation, especially within male-controlled ritual societies. Masking was linked to moments of transition, such as circumcision and the instruction of youths, during which masks embodied forces of authority and other-than-human presence. The wearer was understood not as an individual performer but as a conduit for spiritual or moral power, capable of enforcing discipline and reinforcing communal norms. As in many Central African masking traditions, secrecy surrounding the mask’s identity and use was essential to its efficacy. Stylistically, Lulua masks are notable for their refined carving and symbolic surface treatment. Faces are often heart-shaped or oval, with a high, rounded forehead and delicately modeled features. Prominent scarification patterns, incised or raised on the cheeks and forehead, echo those found on Lulua figural sculpture and reference ideals of beauty, maturity, and social belonging. Eyes are typically downcast or half-closed, conveying composure and moral restraint rather than aggression. The restrained formal language of Lulua masks contrasts with the more overtly expressive masking traditions of neighboring groups, emphasizing introspection and ethical balance. The meaning of Lulua masks cannot be separated from performance context, costume, and movement. Masks were commonly accompanied by fiber elements, pigments, and full-body coverings that completed the transformation of the wearer. Dance and controlled gesture were integral to the mask’s presence, reinforcing its role as an instrument of instruction rather than spectacle. In this sense, Lulua masks align closely with broader Luba aesthetic and philosophical values that privilege inwardness, self-mastery, and social harmony. In museum and scholarly contexts, Lulua masks have often been overshadowed by the group’s figural works, leading to their underrepresentation in discussions of Central African masking. Recent scholarship, however, has increasingly emphasized the coherence of Lulua visual culture across media, recognizing masks as part of a unified aesthetic system grounded in scarification, bodily ideals, and moral symbolism. Studied within this framework, Lulua masks emerge not as marginal artifacts but as focused expressions of authority, transition, and cultural continuity. References Bastin, Marie-Louise. Art Décoratif d’Afrique Noire. Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale. Neyt, François. Luba to Lulua: African Art from the Upemba Depression. Snoeck-Ducaju & Zoon. Roberts, Mary Nooter, and Roberts, Allen F. Memory: Luba Art and the Making of History. Prestel. Vogel, Susan Mullin. Africa Explores: 20th Century African Art. Center for African Art. CAB28588