A caryatid figure supports the narrow top of this neckrest. The subject wears a songye kikashi mask, still used today. This type of mask is worn during initiations with a long costume and a beard made of natural fibers. Used as a pillow to preserve the user's hair arrangements, the African neckrest forms a tribal object decorated with different iconographies which embody the associated spiritual forces. The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled between the Lualaba River and the Sankuru River in the middle of the savannah and forests. They are governed by the yakitengé and by local chiefs. The Bwadi secret society, however, counteracts their power. Their masculine masks, with occult powers, were exhibited during punitive and disciplinary expeditions. Their appearances remained in fact linked to divinatory and socio-political objectives. (Luba, F. Neyt) Smooth satin patina, old restoration (staple).
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