Tribal Art

French African art collection, acquired from Zemanek.
African mask of the Songye kikashi equipped with its ample fiber suit. It offers a flat nasofrontal crest. Parallel striations carved into the surface of the wood symbolize feathering and the connection to death.
Three variants of this Kifwebe mask (pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing death" (Roberts) can be distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest or even absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, which is still used today, seems to come from the area bordering the northern Luba and the Songye of the southeast. They are worn with a long suit and a long beard made of natural fibers during the most important ceremonies. The Songye came from the Shaba region of the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of the savannah and forests. They are governed by the yakitengé and by local chiefs. The Bwami secret society, however, counterbalances their power. Their male masks, with occult powers, were displayed during punitive and disciplinary expeditions.