Helmet Mask, Bembe; D.R.C. Congo
Wood, iron, pigment; H. 18"
Known as Kalunga, this barrel-shaped
mask of the Bembe is said to embody forest spirits
and was generally hidden away and revealed only
to select initiates. Its appearance in the village
could range from purposes of entertainment to the
imposition of fines and the settling of disputes,
especially if a member of the Alunga association
was concerned. It is Janus-faced, or doubled, and
the entire visage is reduced to two enormous eyes
with cylindrical pupils framed in star shapes. This
fine old example once supported a headdress of feathers
and porcupine quills, the lower edge surrounded
by a fiber collar. A wooden billhook and a buffalo
horn were held in the hands of the masker.
