ticketsMember | Make a donation

Bata (ram) mask for a beete performance

19th–first half of 20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 344
This ram, or "bata," mask is an example of the boldly designed reductive stylization of a highly inventive Kwele sculptor. The slitted almond-shaped eyes are set in a concave diamond face within a recessed heart-shaped frame. The face is whitened with kaolin and framed by the curved arcs of a pair of animal horns that emerge from the crown of the head and meet at the base of the chin. Working with a seemingly flat representation, the artist has skillfully drawn upon the use of alternating negative and positive spaces and faceted surfaces.

Known as "ekuk" or "things of the forest" this genre of mask act as intermediaries between the forest and the village. Additionally, the gentle curving horns of the "bata" mask are understood to be a metaphor for the cosmic unification of those two realms. Though their dance is characterized as human, "ekuk" have fantastical attributes: trunks, beaks, or horns. Often painted white, a color the Kwele associate with light and clarity the "ekuk" are portrayed as possessing the clairvoyance necessary to fight witchcraft.

In Kwele villages rituals known as "beete" are enacted at times of crisis in order to mobilize the powers of the ancestors. The skulls of important deceased family members are preserved to combat the negative forces that threatened to destroy a community with famine, disease, or war. "Beete" is a multiple-day festivity, which culminates in the communal consumption of a medicinal stew, which has been activated by the "heat" of the dancing and singing of the "ekuk" masks and villagers.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bata (ram) mask for a beete performance
  • Artist: Kwele artist
  • Date: 19th–first half of 20th century
  • Geography: Gabon or Republic of Congo, Ivindo or Sangha River region
  • Culture: Kwele peoples
  • Medium: Wood, pigment, kaolin
  • Dimensions: H. 20 3/4 x W. 15 x D. 4 in. (52.7 x 38.1 x 10.2 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.206.8
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Zok (elephant) mask for a beete performance, Kwele artist, Wood, pigment, kaolin, Kwele peoples
Zok (elephant) mask for a beete performance
Kwele artist
19th–first half of 20th century
Gon (gorilla) mask for a beete performance, Kwele artist, Wood, pigment, plant fiber, resin(?), Kwele peoples
Gon (gorilla) mask for a beete performance
Kwele artist
19th–first half of 20th century
Mvudi (mask), Aduma or Mbete-Kota artist, Wood, pigment, kaolin, Aduma peoples
Mvudi (mask)
Aduma or Mbete-Kota artist
19th–first half of 20th century
Three-headed male figure, Kuyu artist, Wood, pigment, Kuyu
Three-headed male figure
Kuyu artist
19th–early 20th century
Nkiba or butti ancestor figure, Fumu-Teke or Bembe-Kongo artist, Wood (ngasu or mulong), cloth, organic matter, Teke peoples, Fumu group or Kongo peoples, Bembe group
Nkiba or butti ancestor figure
Fumu-Teke or Bembe-Kongo artist
19th–early 20th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.