Mask (Bwoom)

mid- to late 1800s
Overall: 43.3 x 31.2 x 28.3 cm (17 1/16 x 12 5/16 x 11 1/8 in.)
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Did You Know?

Imagine this mask topped with eagle feathers; they would have been added only on special occasions when it was performed.

Description

Among the Bushoong, the central Kuba group, the mask known as bwoom—most typically identified as the head of a hunter-gatherer—forms a triad with a female mask and another male mask. All three are protagonists in the reenactment of the foundation of the Kuba kingdom. Outside the capital, however, bwoom appears in different non-royal contexts, such as the men’s initiation society.
Mask (Bwoom)

Mask (Bwoom)

mid- to late 1800s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuba-style carver

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