An old carved wooden mask in classic female form with incised linear designs and cubist like features. Songye peoples, DRC / Congo, Africa.Certain masking traditions of the Congo River basin personify local control of mystical power. Striated face masks known as kifwebe probably originated in an area inhabited by both Songye and Luba groups. Among the small Songye chiefdoms along the Lomami River, maskers were emissaries of the ruling elite, who relied on the ideology of witchcraft and sorcery to sustain their rule. These kifwebe members commanded a body of esoteric secret knowledge visually encoded in the mask's features. The mask itself measures 17 x 9 inches. A metal display stand can be included for an additional $35.00, or it can be hung.

fair, well handled, weathered and worn