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This austere mask was made by the Kuba,
a
tribal division of the Bushoong group in
Gabon
and what was once Zaire. It is highly
distinctive.
It is essentially triangular in form,
surrounded by
a textile, bead and cowrie-shell border
with
additional tufts of dark and pale hair
around the
outline of the chin. The wood is very
dark and
glossy, presumably through use
patination. The
face is simplified, with cowrie-shell-
shaped eyes
(cowries were associated with wealth and
were
regularly copied into wooden pieces), an
inverted
T-bar nose and a small, open mouth
connected
to the nose via a raised “septum” ridge.
In this
sense the face is rather like Dan masks
from the
Ivory Coast, but the sculptor has added
further
detail that settles it firmly in the
Kuba group.
Specifically, this involves an immensely
ornate
series of forehead and under-eye
wrinkles that
lend the mask a somewhat lugubrious
expression, and perhaps reflect advanced
age.
This would be appropriate in a society
based
upon gerontocracy, as this mask is
clearly an
elite item.
The Kuba are a large tribe comprised of
various
smaller entities including the Bushoong,
Ngeende, Kete, Lele, Binji, Dengese,
Mbuun and
Wongo peoples. They are quasi-autonomous
within the Kuba polity but are related
genetically
and artistically. Their social systems
are
hereditary monarchies headed by the
“Mushenge” (Nyim), who is responsible
for the
spiritual and material wealth of his
people; each
of the subgroups was represented by an
elder
who sat on a royal council. The kingdom
was
founded in the early 17th century by a
major
leader named Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong-
Shyaam
who united disparate groups under his
authority.
The resulting entity became highly
productive
and exploited trade networks through the
area,
becoming very wealthy in the process.
This led
to an increased artistic oeuvre and ever
more
elaborate royal regalia and statuary.
Their
religion was based upon a creator god
named
MBoom, while more immediate concerns
were
the province of a being named Woot who
was
involved with more tangible issues; the
Kuba are
also known as the Children of Woot.
While not
impacted upon by slavery, their kingdom
fell to
the Nsapo people in the 19th century,
and was
eventually subsumed into the Belgian
Empire.
Artistically, the Kuba are highly
prolific. Their art
is often extremely ornate and decorated
with
cowrie shells and geometric and
meandriform
linear motifs. Their large wood
sculptures have
an apotropaic function. Much Kuba art is
decorated with Tukula – bright red
ground
camwood powder (called twool by the
Kuba),
which has a symbolic significance for
the group.
In addition to the beautifully-rendered
court art
such as the Ndop statues – which
represent kings
– they have a habit of decorating
utilitarian
objects to such an extent that they have
been
described as a people who cannot bear to
leave a
surface without ornament. They are
perhaps best
known for their boxes (ngedi mu ntey)
and palm
wine cups. These items were used as
markers of
status in the late 19th century, and the
quality of
their rendering was used as a bargaining
chip
when attempting to gain royal favour or
influence.
Good Kuba masks are a rarity. This
beautiful
example would be a prestigious and
beautiful
addition to any serious collection of
African art.
- (PF.3089 (LSO))
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