Mask
1 of 5
Object Label
Although little information exists concerning the masking traditions of the many ethnic groups of the Ubangi region in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, masks were likely used during the activities which surrounded boys' initiations and circumcisions. Masks from the region can be identified by their characteristics scarification marks: rows of bumps or incisions running across the forehead and down the bridge of the nose, sometimes extending to the chin.
Caption
Ngbaka; possibly Banja. Mask, 19th century. Wood, 13 x 9 7/8 x 5 3/4 in. (33 x 25.1 x 14.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1585. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Cultures
Title
Mask
Date
19th century
Geography
Place made: Nord-Ubangi Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
13 x 9 7/8 x 5 3/4 in. (33 x 25.1 x 14.6 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund
Accession Number
22.1585
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