Songye (Basonge, Bayembe,
Songe, Wasonga),
Shield.
Among the Songye the
kifwebe society functions as the organ of control in the service of the
ruling elite. It helps the authorities maintain their economic and political
power. The kifwebe masks count as some of this society’s most powerful
collaborators. It is said of these masks that their place is beyond the normal
order of the universe. The kifwebe
masks embodied supernatural forces and formerly functioned as agents of the
ruling elite. The distinctive head in the center of this
magnificent shield is modeled after the kifwebe mask form of the eastern
Songye. Such shields were hung on the walls of the huts where the kifwebe
masks were stored. The shields served a symbolic purpose.
Material: wood
#N10S12O803
$320 + $50 (S+H)
Exhibited at the "Fertile, Frightful, Divine"show.
New Brunswick, NJ. July 2011
Exhibited at the "Fertile, Frightful, Divine"show.
New Brunswick, NJ. July 2011