Kuba (Bakuba, Bushongo), Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pwoom itok dance mask. The Kuba, numbering 250,000, cultivate manioc, corn, gourds, bananas, pineapples, and tobacco. The creator god is not formally worshiped. At one time the Kuba had a religion based on ancestor worship, but this seems to have died out, although divination is still practiced in order to discover causes of evil. The Kuba, a confederation of nineteen ethnic groups dominating by the Bushong, have over twenty different mask types considered embodiments of spirit. In addition to the three royal masks, there are other dance masks, of which the main one is the pwoom itok presented here. Its primary characteristic is the shape of the eyes, whose centers are expressed as cones surrounded by small holes. Sub-styles have multiplied the variations of this mask.

Material:  wood, vegetable fiber, cowries, beads

Size:  H. 9 ½”, W. 7”, D. 4”

Price: $185 + $28 (S&H)           [#B3K9M674]