Songye Panel Mask
This fine old panel mask , from the Songye culture located in the Congo, has
roots in many ancient secret societies. Old dry wood.
Wood: 70 cm (27.56 inches) high Large: 18.5 cm (7.28 inches)
Price not available anymore
Information:
It was used to decorate the initiations room.The Songye, traditionally
from the South-Eastern part of Congo, inhabit an area shared with the Luba,
another ethnic group that shares a common ancestry. Through these two ethnic
groups, a secret society emerged; the Bwadi Bwa, a secret society entrusted with
upholding societal norms and behaviors for the whole of society.
The line patterns are to remember the labyrinth path during the Bukishi intiation.
The Kifwebe ("Mask", plural Bifwebe), in crucial in the Bwadi Bwa
ceremony. This mask is female, as evident of the flat crest from the nose to the
back of the head. The female mask is always more seldom than the male ones. The
full size masks are worn by a male that would dance around, threatening other
members of the tribe into behaving according to Songye principles.
Bibliography used for this description
Phillips,
Tom. Africa:
The Art of a Continent (African Art) (London: Royal Academy of Arts,
1995), 281-284 ~ Tom Phillips
History of Art in Africa, A (2nd Edition)Visona,
Monica. (Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008), 367-371,
411-413
Visual Arts of Africa: Gender, Power, and Life Cycle Rituals
~ Judith Perani: Gender, Power and Life Cycle Rituals. (Upper Saddle Creek, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1998), 253-254, 245-248
Hersak, Dunya. "Songye: Mask and Masquerade." Grove Art Online
(2008) Songye
Masks and Figure Sculpture
Spirits Speak: A Celebration of African Masks
~ Peter Stepan. (New York: Prestel Publishing, 2005), 176,178
Neighboring Peoples: Luba, Luba
Kasai, Sungu, Tetela, Mputu, Luntu, Binji, Kaniok,
Kusu
The mask itself has large striations around the whole of the mask-
representing the stripes on an antelope. The mouth represents the beak of a
bird, and the eyes represent crocodiles. The striations above the eyes are
symbolic of the Songye's belief in the "fundamental pair", the first
two humans that God placed on the Earth. The horizontal-like striations below
the eyes are also symbolic of the cave where these two humans were first
created.
Price not available anymore
click on thumbs to enlarge
H: 70cm Quite old and beautiful Songye panel mask with a dry patina. These
panels usually fetch high prices. Information: Add
Songye Panel to Cart - availability request
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