Brooklyn Museum: Arts of Africa and the Pacific Islands: Tshimwana Mask

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Tshimwana Mask

The Biombo have been strongly influenced politically and culturally by their neighbors to the north, the Kuba. Like Kuba masks, Biombo masks are worn at funerals and initiations. Masks in both traditions have large slit eyes and painted geometric patterns on the forehead, cheeks and chin. The muted red color seen here is more characteristic of Biombo masks, however.

Culture: Biombo
Medium: Wood
Place Made: Lulua Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dates: late 19th or early 20th century
Dimensions: 13 9/16 x 8 5/16 x 7 1/2 in. (34.4 x 21.1 x 19.1 cm)
Collections: Arts of Africa and the Pacific Islands
Museum Location: This item is on view in African Galleries, 1st Floor
Accession Number: 56.6.10
Credit Line: Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos
Image: Overall, 56.6.10_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007

Catalogue Description: The object is a mask with outlined scrolls and circles on heavy forehead, protruding eyes with slit openings, a projecting circular mouth, checkerboard patterns on cheeks as well as perforations for costume attachment, and red and white pigment in mouth and eye areas.

Collections: Arts of Africa and the Pacific Islands: Tshimwana Mask