Origin: Babemba ethnic group, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Proper name: bwami (ichiBemba language)

Dating: 1990s

Dimensions: height 37.0 cm, width 16.0 cm, depth 7.0 cm

Made of: polychrome wood, raffia

Techniques: carving

Sourced by: Jacek Łapott, art and craft store, Kigali (Rwanda), 2006.

Babemba (Bemba) – "people of the lake" are a small (approx. 60,000) ethnic group, settled mainly in north-eastern Zambia and south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The basis of the Babemba economy are: agriculture (cassava and millet cultivation), breeding, hunting and gathering – the Babemba are famous honey collectors who also work in the mining industry [https://arttribal.com/products/bemba-initiation-mask].

Traditional Babemba society is matrilineal, characterized by close bonds between women, mothers and daughters [Winston 2004: 423]. There are several men's associations among the Babemba, including: alunga and bwami. The alunga mask is the unique form of the ibulu iya alunga (honey protector) mask, which is often crowned with a huge crest of porcupine quills and feathers. This mask represents the powerful spirit of the bush. It is kept in a sacred cave, which it leaves for the secret ceremony of initiating new members. The alunga association takes care of the hunting cult, social order and public dances.

Whereas, the bwami association – whose formula was borrowed by Babemba from the Lega people - is responsible for the circumcision ceremony, during which ivory or wood figurines and wooden masks play an important role [http://www.zyama.com/bemba/]. The presented mask is decorated with a raffia beard. Taking into account the characteristic ornament, it was probably used during boys' initiation rites, but this requires further research.

Bibliography:

Internet 1: http://www.zyama.com/bemba/, access 3.09.2023.

Internet 2. : https://arttribal.com/products/bemba-initiation-mask, access 3.09.2023.

Winston Robert, ed., 2004, Human: The Definitive Visual Guide, New York: Dorling Kindersley.

Edited by Lucjan Buchalik

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The purchase is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport as part of the National Institute of Museums and Collections' own program "Expansion of museum collections".