The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Mask (Kifwebe)

Mask (Kifwebe)

c. 1930s
Wood and paint
Overall: 71.2 cm (28 1/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1972.2
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The three-colored stripes on this kifwebe mask visually link it to powerful and dangerous animals including zebras, snakes, lions, and porcupines; not all of these animals are local to where the Songye peoples live.

Description

The closely spaced, painted grooves on this kifwebe mask accentuate the contours of the mask itself. The colors are mixed with sacred substances that activate the mask and help induce the wearer to enter a state of being between human and spirit. The theme of transformation may be inherent in the form of the mask itself, which recalls, in an abstracted way, some of the distinctive traits of the chameleon—a supreme symbol of transformative power.
  • acquired in 1960 or 1961
    Georges Vidal, Cannes, France
    until 1972
    Herbert Baker, Chicago, IL
    1972–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art by purchase
    Provenance Footnotes
    1 "J'ai trouvé ce masque Basongue dans la region da Cabinda. Kasaï Oriental. Ex Congo Belge des les années 1960, 1961." Letter June 25, 1972 from Georges Vidal to Herbert Baker.
    2 Owned by at least 1971; see CMA historical object number dated to that year
  • Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).
    Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
  • {{cite web|title=Mask (Kifwebe)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1930s|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.2