African Arts Gallery

A miniature version of the Songye's African Kifwebe mask, this copy associated with Bwadi ka Bifwebe has been sculpted to recurring standards. Parallel furrows, encrusted with white kaolin, adorn the surface of the wood, symbolizing plumage and the link with death. Black and red ochre highlights enhance certain features.
Patine encrusted, chipped, dry. br / Height on base: 30 cm.
Three variants of this mask Kifwebe (pl. Bifwebe) or "Chasing the mort" (Roberts) stand out: the masculine (kilume) usually with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest see absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, appears to originate from the adjacent area between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. They are worn with a long suit and a long beard made of natural fibers, absent on this copy, during the most important ceremonies. The Songye came from the Shaba region of the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of the savannah and forests. They are governed by the yakitengé and local leaders. The secret bwami society, however, counterbalances their power. Their male masks, with occult powers, were displayed during punitive and disciplinary expeditions.