Mask, Tabwa; D.R.C. Congo
Cloth, string, beads; H. 14"
Beaded masks surmounted with a variety
of colored feathers and worn with a pelt of blue
monkey were used in the Bulumbu possession
cult of the Tabwa. Such masks were worn during trance
in the personification of Ngulu earth spirits.
The row of diamond patterns on the beaded forehead
can also be found on nkaka headbands; the
patterns are said to signify the rising of a new
moon, although such masks allow a great deal of
variation in their decoration. The interplay of
the color of beaded sections is thoughtfully handled
in this example. Interestingly, the upper portion
of the mask faithfully recreates an nkaka
headband, thus tangibly linking the mask to divination
practices.
