Mask (Kifwebe)

Songye

1 of 2

Object Label

The kifwebe masquerade is a genre shared by the Luba and Songye, indicative of the interaction that has occurred between the two societies. Kifwebe masks represent either male or female beings. Both mask types are characterized by angular and thrusting forms, and in both cases the entire face is covered in patterns of geometric grooves that are uniquely characteristic of these masks. Female masks, such as this one, are distinguished by the predominant use of white clay and the rounded form of the head crest.

Caption

Songye. Mask (Kifwebe), late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, pigment, 12 x 7 1/8 x 6 1/8 in. (30.5 x 18.1 x 15.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Collection of Beatrice Riese, 2011.4.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2011.4.2_threequarter_SL1_edited.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

Arts of Africa

Culture

Songye

Title

Mask (Kifwebe)

Date

late 19th or early 20th century

Medium

Wood, pigment

Classification

Masks

Dimensions

12 x 7 1/8 x 6 1/8 in. (30.5 x 18.1 x 15.6 cm)

Credit Line

Collection of Beatrice Riese

Accession Number

2011.4.2

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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