African art > Head rest > Songye Head support

Songye Head support (N° 23932) Deposit sale

An emblematic head of the kifwebe mask, sculpted with skill, supports the top of this neckrest. This type of mask, linked to the Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe society, is worn during initiations with a long costume and a beard made of natural fibers. Used as a pillow to preserve the user's capillary arrangements, the African neckrest forms a tribal object adorned with different iconographies embodying spiritual forces believed to influence dreams.

Shiny patina, desication cracks.
The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled between the Lualaba River and the Sankuru River in the middle of savannah and forests. They are governed by the yakitenge and by local chiefs. The Bwadi secret society, however, counterbalances their power. Their male 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)  

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OriginCollection française.
EthnySongye
Countryrdc ex zaire
Material(s)wood
Height cm15
Depth11 cm
Width15 cm
Weight0.60 Kg

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