The Kuba (or Bakuba) are a confederation of 18 ethnic groups in south-central Congo. Traditionally, the ‘king’ or ‘Nyim’ of all the Bakuba comes from the sub-tribe of the Bushoong. The Kuba have more than 20 different mask designs which appear during theatrical presentations. But the most important are the three ‘royal’ masks. These are: ‘Mwaash amboy’, a mask representing the mythical king and founder of the tribe; ‘Ngaady amwaash’, representing his sister and concurrent wife (as with the ancient Egyptian pharaohs); and the ‘Bwoom’ mask, representing the king’s brother. This last mentioned envies the ‘Mwaash amboy’ as much for the royal honour and might as for the wife. Using this triangulation of power, love and resistance, the Kuba develop grand dramatic dance spectacles, centering on the tribe’s myth of origins. The present large helmet or pull-on mask represents ‘Bwoom’, the defiant, rebellious brother of the king. It is carved from one piece of wood, dyed dark brown and light brown (with ochre earth) on the outside.
The bulging forehead, the eyebrow arches, the lines of the eyes, and the nose and mouth are decorated with bands of black and white glass beads. The back of the head and the lower border of the mask are trimmed with raffia fabric and decorated equally with typical, geometric Kuba patterns of black and white glass beads and cowrie shells. On both temples is affixed a long, blue glass bead, and on the lower edge hang the remains of an earlier trimming of brown kernels, as well as a leather strip (at the front on the chin). On the flat crown of the head of the ‘Bwoom’ is a large, round hole (so that the mask dancer can breathe more easily). This hole is covered with a piece of black and white monkey fur. ‘Bwoom masks’ never have view holes or slits as ‘eyes’. With this mask type, the masked dancers look through the large nostrils. A perfect old piece, with slight colour scuffing to exposed areas. Otherwise no damage. And yet with a good, old, partially shiny usage patina on the outside and especially on the inside of the ‘helmet’.
Height: c. 34 cm; width: c. 22 cm.
First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian collection.

Lit.:
‘Afrika’ by Michel Leiris & Jacqueline Delange, ill. 396; ‘Das zweite Gesicht. Masken aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller, Genf’ by Iris Hahner-Herzog, Maria Kecskési & László Vajda, ill. p. 83/84; ‘Het gelaat van de geesten’ by Frank Herreman & Constantijn Petridis, ill. 60 et passim.