ClassificationsAfrican Art
Kifwebe Society Mask
Place CreatedDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
CultureSongye
Date20th Century
MediumWood, pigment
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Dimensions26 x 10 x 8 1/4 in. (66 x 25.4 x 21 cm)
Object number2003.073.001
Label TextIn combining the attributes of several animals, this mask embodies the supernatural, dangerous qualities of the Kifwebe society. This society uses magic and fear to reinforce the political will of rulers. Striations on the mask's face resemble the stripes of zebras, which the Songye consider dangerous because they are foreign to the region. Other animals capable of inflicting fatal wounds are also represented to command fear in spectators. The chin denotes the jaw of a crocodile, while hairs signifying porcupine needles originally protruded form the mask's nose. A raffia beard symbolizing a lion's mane would also have been attached to the mask's rim.Kifwebe literally means "chases death away". Masks are danced in pairs at the death of a chief or when someone assumes an important political title, thus marking occasions of social transition and transformation. Kifwebe masks originated with the neighboring Songye in southeastern Congo, and Luba Kifwebe masks are strongly influenced by them. Associations of Luba and Hemba dancers are credited with the spread of this popular mask type. The dancer's costume is made of fibrous material and animal skins.
Exhibition HistoryThe Art of Black Africa: Collection of Jay C. Leff, Carnegi Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1969 - January 18, 1970
MCCM Permanent Collection Installation, November 19, 2007 - December 1, 2014
Published ReferencesThe Art of Black Africa: Collection of Jay C. Leff (Pittsburgh: Carnegie Institute, 1969), number 292.
Sotheby's New York, African and Oceanic Art (November 14, 2003), lot 94.
ProvenanceEx coll. Jay C. Leff (1924-2000), Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Ex private collection, New York. With Sotheby's New York, November 14, 2003, lot 94 (unsold). Purchased by MCCM from Sotheby's New York, November 21, 2003 (after sale purchase).
Status
Not on viewCollections
- African Art
late 19th-late 20th Century
late 19th-early 20th Century
late 19th-mid 20th Century
late 19th Century
20th Century
late 19th Century
1920s-1940s
late 19th-early 20th Century
mid 20th Century
late 19th-20th Century
mid 20th Century
19th-20th Century