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Mask (Emangungu)
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Rare anthropo-zoomorphic plank masks were once used by Bembe people in circumcision rites called <em>butende</em>. Recently initiated boys living in seclusion in the forest wore them with a bark-and-banana-leaf costume, disguising themselves to beg for food in the village. The sculpture’s short projections above the forehead are identified as an owl’s tufts. The two pairs of eyes could refer to divination. The rites associated with this mask had waned by the mid-1960s.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Bembe-style maker |
|---|---|
| Date | possibly early 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bembe-style maker |
| Medium | Wood, kaolin, colorant, and iron |
| Dimensions | Overall: 46 cm (18 1/8 in.) |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Mask |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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