H x W x D: 42.5 x 34.9 x 48.9 cm (16 3/4 x 13 3/4 x 19 1/4 in.)
Type:
Mask
Geography:
Kasai-Sankuru River region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Mid 20th century
Label Text:
Made of cloth, fiber, glass beads and cowrie shells, Mukyeem is a variant on the royal mwaash a mboy mask, but can be distinguished by its projecting elephant trunk with two small tusks. It is found not among the royal Bushong clan but among the Kete and other peoples that made up the Kuba kingdom where traditionally it was a funerary mask. The materials and the elephant form convey the importance of the individual who died and the white color of the cowries also suggests the spirit world. Artistic quality is judged by how carefully the color and size of the cowries are matched, the size of the individual beads and the tightness of the patterns.
Description:
Cap mask with leather face, cowrie shells forming the eyes and framing the face and the back of the head. A trunk like extension projects from the top of the head and alternates glass beads and cowrie shells with two flaps half way up. Raffia beard ruff.
Provenance:
Eliot Elisofon, New York, -- to 1973
Exhibition History:
The Language of African Art: A Bicentennial Exhibition from the Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C. 1976-1978
Published References:
Robbins, Warren. 1976. The Language of African Art: A Bicentennial Exhibition from the Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: Museum of African Art, p. 33.
Content Statement:
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