Artwork Page for Mask (Bwoom)

Details / Information for Mask (Bwoom)

Mask (Bwoom)

mid- to late 1800s

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

Medium
Wood and paint
Measurements
Overall: 43.3 x 31.2 x 28.3 cm (17 1/16 x 12 5/16 x 11 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
James Albert Ford Memorial Fund 1935.304
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
108A African
Print
?

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.
Dark brown wood mask with orange undertones of a human face with eyes narrowed to slits, a mouth outlined in a diamond shape, and a rounded pyramid shaped nose. Vertically oriented black stripes are painted across the cheekbones, with black triangular patterns painted like the stubble of a beard and in a semi-circle on the forehead, below a band of darker wood like hair.

Mask (Bwoom)

mid- to late 1800s

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

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.