Looks like the shield of a turtle most of these rare masks would have been worn on top of the head , it was used by secret society , a group of powerful men . Height : 30 x 30cm Material : Ceramics Age : Collected In 1970 , Estimated…
Songye panel with Named after the men’s society and its mask, Kifwebe controlled the behavior of women and children and collected and redistributed wealth.
This mask was used by the Nkunda secret society for the initiation of young men into adulthood. Height : 28x19cm Material : Wood , Pigment . Estimated age : 20th Century
A large ancient dance mask from the SUKUMA tribe of northern Tanzania. Mid 20th century. powerful expression The Sukuma are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting the south-eastern African Great Lakes region in Tanzania. Sukuma means “north” and refers to “people of the north. Sukuma masks served various purposes in society,…
For the Songye, the term kifwebe generically means mask. This designation, kifwebe, was used for the first time in 1905-1906 . The first cults of kifwebe masks began at the turn of the 20th century. this mask became an instrument of social power , color of this mask are symbolic…