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This austere mask was made by the Kuba, a
tribal division of the Bushoong group in Gabon
and what was once Zaire. It is highly distinctive.
It is essentially triangular in form, surrounded by
a textile, bead and cowrie-shell border with
additional tufts of dark and pale hair around the
outline of the chin. The wood is very dark and
glossy, presumably through use patination. The
face is simplified, with cowrie-shell-shaped eyes
(cowries were associated with wealth and were
regularly copied into wooden pieces), an inverted
T-bar nose and a small, open mouth connected
to the nose via a raised “septum” ridge. In this
sense the face is rather like Dan masks from the
Ivory Coast, but the sculptor has added further
detail that settles it firmly in the Kuba group.
Specifically, this involves an immensely ornate
series of forehead and under-eye wrinkles that
lend the mask a somewhat lugubrious
expression, and perhaps reflect advanced age.
This would be appropriate in a society based
upon gerontocracy, as this mask is clearly an
elite item.
The Kuba are a large tribe comprised of various
smaller entities including the Bushoong,
Ngeende, Kete, Lele, Binji, Dengese, Mbuun and
Wongo peoples. They are quasi-autonomous
within the Kuba polity but are related genetically
and artistically. Their social systems are
hereditary monarchies headed by the
“Mushenge” (Nyim), who is responsible for the
spiritual and material wealth of his people; each
of the subgroups was represented by an elder
who sat on a royal council. The kingdom was
founded in the early 17th century by a major
leader named Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong-Shyaam
who united disparate groups under his authority.
The resulting entity became highly productive
and exploited trade networks through the area,
becoming very wealthy in the process. This led
to an increased artistic oeuvre and ever more
elaborate royal regalia and statuary. Their
religion was based upon a creator god named
MBoom, while more immediate concerns were
the province of a being named Woot who was
involved with more tangible issues; the Kuba are
also known as the Children of Woot. While not
impacted upon by slavery, their kingdom fell to
the Nsapo people in the 19th century, and was
eventually subsumed into the Belgian Empire.
Artistically, the Kuba are highly prolific. Their art
is often extremely ornate and decorated with
cowrie shells and geometric and meandriform
linear motifs. Their large wood sculptures have
an apotropaic function. Much Kuba art is
decorated with Tukula – bright red ground
camwood powder (called twool by the Kuba),
which has a symbolic significance for the group.
In addition to the beautifully-rendered court art
such as the Ndop statues – which represent kings
– they have a habit of decorating utilitarian
objects to such an extent that they have been
described as a people who cannot bear to leave a
surface without ornament. They are perhaps best
known for their boxes (ngedi mu ntey) and palm
wine cups. These items were used as markers of
status in the late 19th century, and the quality of
their rendering was used as a bargaining chip
when attempting to gain royal favour or
influence.
Good Kuba masks are a rarity. This beautiful
example would be a prestigious and beautiful
addition to any serious collection of African art.
- (PF.3089 (LSO))
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