Origin:
MŻo/A/3574: Lwalu
MŻo/A/3585: Kumu
MŻo/A/3586: Songie
MŻo/A/3588: Bakuba

Local name:
MŻo/A/3574:
MŻo/A/3585: nsembu
MŻo/A/3586: kifwebe
MŻo/A/3588: mukyeem

Dating:
MŻo/A/3574: Second half of the 20th century
MŻo/A/3585: 1990s
MŻo/A/3586: 1990s
MŻo/A/3588: 1990s

Dimensions:
MŻo/A/3574: height 36.0 cm, width 17.5 cm, depth 12.0 cm
MŻo/A/3585: height 30.0 cm, width 21.0 cm, depth 7.5 cm
MŻo/A/3586: height 42.0 cm, width 24.0 cm, depth 14.0 cm
MŻo/A/3588: height 57.0 cm, width 55.0 cm, depth 44.0 cm

Material: wood

Techniques: carving

Acquired by:
MŻo/A/3574: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Kigali (Rwanda), 2005.
MŻo/A/3585: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Kigali (Rwanda), 2005.
MŻo/A/3584: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Douala (Cameroon), 2005.
MŻo/A/3585: Jacek Łapott, artisana, Kigali (Rwanda), 2005.

Description:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo gained independence in 1960. Previously, these areas were in the hands of the Belgians, first as the Congo Free State (until 1908), then as the Belgian Congo. In the years 1971-1997, during the rule of President Mobutu Sese Seko, it was called the Republic of Zaire. This country occupies the central part of Africa in the main part covered with tropical forest. The peoples inhabiting this area in the past formed independent kingdoms, sometimes fighting each other. They are known for interesting art, often considered as "classic" examples of African art (e.g. Songie, Bakuba).

The first of the presented masks comes from the Lwalu people (Balualua, Balwalwa, Lwalwa) living in the Kasaï-Occidental province. The essential part of the collection of traditional African art are carved figurines and masks. They can be easily recognized by their geometrical elements, elongated shape, angular noses (inspired by the beaks of various birds), prominent lips and half-closed rectangular eyes. To fix the mask firmly on the dancer's face, a small hole drilled between the mouth and nose allows the string to be passed through. At Lwal, masks participate in the initiation of the young boys and hunting rituals. The choreography of the masked dances was very complex and had to appease the spirits of the ancestors and force them to intervene. Masks still play a role during secular ceremonies, nowadays mask dances are made to order. The sphere of the sacrum has given way to entertainment and mass tourism.

The Kumu (Komo) people of the Ituri rainforest in eastern Congo. The basis of the economy is agriculture. Their masks usually have wide open eyes and mouths, often with sharp teeth. An important rite is the initiation of boys who enter adulthood. The Nsembu mask is only used by members of Nkunda's secret society. They also use divination masks while under the influence of hallucinogens. The mask itself represents the soothsayer's spirit. Kumu masks are quite rare in antiquarian circulation [Internet 1; Biebuyck, Herreman 1999: 301; Hahner et al. 2007: 95].

The Songie (Songye, Songe) inhabit a vast territory between the Sankuru River in the west and the Lualaba River in the east, and in the provinces of East Kasai, Katanga and Kivu [Petridis]. They masks were used in Kifwebe secret society ceremonies, where the dances of the same name were performed, and the masks were then dressed with beards made of long plant fibers attached to holes on the edges of the mask (Fig. A). When these beards were absent (no fastening holes on the edge of the mask), they were called Kabemba (meaning "hawks") [Volper 2012: 91]. Kifebwe initiates learn various hidden names for each part of the mask, such as the nose, which may be called the "door to the furnace". Masks depicting male and female characters but masks are worn only by men. They are distinguished by form and color. The male version of the mask has strongly exaggerated features and a prominent crest, while the female masks are generally white with a low or almost nonexistent crest [Bacquart 2010: 168-171; Hahner et al. 2007: 88; Leuzinger 1960]. “Easily recognizable by their distinctive ornamentation, Kifwebe masks remain very mysterious when it comes to their use. They are performed in the bush, out of sight, they are consecrated in a secret ceremony where the spirit must take on new masks. They are reserved for notables who have undergone initiation” [Meyer 2001: 88].

Bakuba people in the 16th century migrated from the north and settled between the Sankuru and Kasai rivers. Today they number 250,000 and are divided into many groups (Ngeende, Kete, Lele, Binji, Dengese, Mbuun and Wongo). Their ceremonies include three main types of masks Bushoong, Nyiabita, Mukenge (mukyeem). The latter is influenced by the Bushoong Moshambwooy mask, but has a stylized elephant's trunk on top. Ngeende artists have carved a wide range of anthropomorphic everyday objects such as drums, cups, pipes and boxes. The figures on these items have diamond-shaped mouths, a slightly flared hairstyle, and rounded scarifications that are not part of the Bushoong style [Bacquart 2010: 172]. They are reserved for members of the royal family and function as social regulation [Meyer 2001: 94-95]

Masks of peoples living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are very popular among collectors and tourists, they can be bought far from their headquarters. One of the reasons for this is the low level of security in DR Congo. It is easier for artisans to sell masks to markets in neighboring countries.

Bibliography:
Internet 1: https://www.maskmuseum.org/mask/kumu-nsembu, access 30/11/2020.
Bacquart Jean-Baptiste, 1998 – L’Art tribal d’Afrique Noire, Paris: Editions Assouline.
Bacquart Jean-Baptiste, 2010, The Tribal Arts of Africa, London: Thames&Hudson.
Biebuyck Daniel, Frank Herreman, 1999, Central Africa, in: Phillips Tom (ed.) – Africa. The art of a continent, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel, pp. 231-325.
Hahner Iris, Maria Kecskési, László Vajda, 2007, African Masks. The Barbier-Mueller Collection, Munich-Berlin-London-New York: Prestel.
Leuzinger Elsy, 1961, Africa Nera, Milano: Il Saggiatore.
Meyer Laure, 2001, Afrique Noire. Masques, sculptures, bijoux, Paris: Pierre Terrail.
Paulme Denise, 1956, Les Sculptures de l’Afrique Noire, Paris: Presses Universitaire de France.
Petridis Constantine, 2008, Art and power in the Central African Savanna: Luba, Songye, Chokwe, Luluwa; Mercatorfonds.Volper Julien, 2012, Autour des Songye, „Annales des Arts africains”.

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".