Male Kifwebe mask

NameMask

CultureSongye

Place madeDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

MediumWood, pigment, fur

DimensionsOverall: 16 3/4 x 6 7/8 x 8 7/8 in. (42.5 x 17.5 x 22.5 cm)

Credit LineBequest of Greg LaChapelle

Object numberA.2011.20.36

DescriptionLarge wood mask with protruding convex brow, then slopes inward from eyes to chin. But for features, mask is hatched in zigzag lines and covered in thick, creamy white pigment. The dark stained, faintly triangular nose continues over the top of the head, carved into a small crest. The nostrils are pierced and fur tufts inserted into the openings. The eyes are slit and surrounded by dark almond shaped eye sockets, with lines that continue horizontally to the edge of the mask. The protruding square mouth is pierced, the front stained a soft red, and a quadrilateral patch under the mouth extends to the bottom of the mask.