Kifwebe (mask)
Kifwebe masquerades featured prominently at various Luba and Songye ceremonial and celebratory events including initiations, the deaths of chiefs, communal work efforts, and new moon rites. In those contexts, kifwebe functioned as a regulatory body, enforcing obedience to royal hierarchies. The masks were conceived as extraordinary beings imbued with human, animal, and spiritual attributes. These associations are visually manifested through this work’s human facial features, zebra or bushbuck stripes, and rounded, full-moon form. In performance, these spectacular creatures might confront spectators, blow smoke through the openings in the mask, and emit unusual sounds. These astounding displays of magical power simultaneously excited and instilled fear in the audience.
Artwork Details
- Title: Kifwebe (mask)
- Artist: Luba artist
- Date: 19th–first half of 20th century
- Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Culture: Luba peoples
- Medium: Wood, pigment
- Dimensions: H. 14 × W. 13 1/2 × D. 7 1/4 in. (35.6 × 34.3 × 18.4 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.5
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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Luba artist
19th–first half of 20th century
Luba artist
19th–early 20th century
Luba artist
Late 19th century–early 20th century
Luba artist
19th–first half of 20th century
Luba artist
19th–first half of 20th century
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