A ‘curiosity’! During the period of the Belgian colonial domination of the Congo (Belgian Congo: 1885–1960), the Belgian colonial officials encountered different headdresses, hats, helmets and so-called ‘pith helmets’. This led to imitations: if a local chief or ‘king’ wanted to appear equal to the Belgian officials, he had a wood helmet carved for him. In this case, a ‘pith helmet’! This ‘pith helmet’ consists of lightweight, light-coloured wood, with a dark brown coloured rim and four small ‘kifwebe’ masks carved out from the same piece, of the Songye, in southeastern Congo: two male masks (with crest) and two female masks (without crest), opposite each other (see also cat. no. 103). The choice of this type of mask seems logical: ultimately, the members of the ‘Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe’ secret society, who wear such masks, also exercise a policing function. An interesting ‘curiosity’ from the colonial period! With good, old usage patina (also on the inside and on both fastening eyelets), as well as with minor age-related damage (minor cracks, a minor loss and an original repair on the rim). Certainly before 1960 (independence of Congo); DM: 31 cm x 33 cm. (ME)