H x W x D: 29 x 17.6 x 18.5 cm (11 7/16 x 6 15/16 x 7 5/16 in.)
Type:
Mask
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
Certain striated masks (kifwebe) have lunar connections. Among the eastern Songye, predominantly white kifwebe were identified as female. Due to its positive attributes, the color white is associated with light and the moon. Male kifwebe masks, in contrast, are distinguished by boldly colored bands of red, black and white.
Kifwebe masking societies, found among both the Songye and the Luba peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, served judicial functions and were associated with expressions of power and authority over potentially negative, antisocial behavior.
The parallel incisions and contrasting black and white pigments emphasize this mask's volume and geometric features.
Description:
Wood face mask with incised parallel lines, triangular nose, semicircular eyes and projecting square mouth. The face is white, the mouth is red and the other features are black. Strands of hair are inserted into the nostrils.
Provenance:
Paul and Ruth Tishman, New York, -- to 1983
Exhibition History:
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing
African Cosmos: Stellar Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 20-December 9, 2012; Newark Museum, February 26-August 11, 2013; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, August 23-November 30, 2014; Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta, January 31-June 21, 2015 (exhibited at NMAfA and Newark Museum)
For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2012. African Cosmos: Stellar Arts. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution; New York: Monacelli Press, p. 133, no. 7.24.
Vogel, Susan (ed). 1981. For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 218, no. 132.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
