African Congo SONGYE Kifwebe Femal Mask 16.5''Tall

Description: SONGYE KIFWEBE MASK - KIA NDOSHI - CONGO - D.R.C The Songye are a Bantu people of the Kasai region. Little is known about the origin of the Basonge. Except that the language closest to Kisongye is Kiluba. So, the language spoken in the ancient Luba kingdom of Katanga. More than 70% of terms are common, according to Ms. Bastin. It is therefore a question of fairly recent "speaks", the separation of which could date back several centuries... The Songye inhabit a vast territory between the Lubilash and Sankuru rivers to the west and the Lualaba to the east. The largest concentration of Songye villages is in what is now Kasai Oriental province, but it also occupies parts of Katanga and Kivu provinces. They do not constitute a homogeneous socio-cultural entity and are subdivided into several linguistic and cultural groups, the most important constituting eponymous chiefdoms. Only the peoples living in the numerous small chiefdoms east of the Lomami call themselves Songye; the others living west of this river call themselves under different names: Kalebwe, Eki, Ilande, Bala, Sanga and Tempa, among others. The eastern region, much more isolated and "traditional", was relatively unaffected by the action of missionaries and other foreign occupants. An important center for the practice of magic and witchcraft, it remains the most feared of all the Songye regions. The Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe male secret society was responsible for maintaining control, order and rule among the Songye people. Community leaders used witchcraft (buchi) and magic (masende) to enforce desired behavior, and to harness the powers of buchi and masende, bifwebe masks are danced. The power of the masks is believed to provide members of Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe with wealth and supernatural abilities. 3 types of Bifwebe exist among the Basonge. The Kikashi is a so-called "feminine" mask and does not have a high crest. The Kilume, is a "masculine" mask, and has a high crest. And finally, the Kia Ndoshi. This is a female mask given the absence of a crest. This is simply flat and slightly raised. The entire mask is carved with near-perfect lines (bikoko) which represents the striped antelope Bango. (we said it above). A tiny part of the "costume" has survived, notably the horn garnished with feathers attached to the raffia cord and loaded with protective charms. It would be the symbol of the owls, according to Marc Léo Félix. The chin is called "mukombo" and would represent the mouth of a crocodile, the eye slits (mitoshi) would be an illustration of the entrance to a termite mound, the protruding mouth (etondo), that of the bird's beak, the nose (mbaso), or the vertical axis thereof, is the tree of life, while the raffia beard (mwefu), which is absent here, simply means "beard" in Kisongye. All these animals symbolically represented on a portion of the mask are choreographed during his dance. Basically, female masks reflect positive forces: they are worn during night dances, during the most important lunar ceremonies or on the occasion of an investiture or the death of a leader. Height : 16,53 Inch - 42 cm Width : 9,05 Inch - 23,5 cm Depth : 10,06 Inch - 27 cm Presumed seniority : Mid of XXth century Material : Wood, pigments (kaolin, carbon black) Provenance : Ex - Private French collection Sold with the base. (Pictures) This KIFWEBE SONGYE MASK will be delivered quickly by Bpost.be and you will receive a tracking number. Please let me know the destination of the mask, so that I can adjust the delivery price. THANK YOU

Price: 1999 USD

Location: Jambes

End Time: 2025-01-03T06:30:41.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD