Songyé, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Lot 54

Lot 54
Go to lot
Estimation :
300 - 400 EUR
Register for the sale on drouot.com
Songyé, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Lot 54
Songyé, Democratic Republic of the Congo Kifwébé mask, wood, kaolin H. 40 cm - W. 22 cm (on pedestal). Provenance: former collection of the artist André Van Ghendt, Belgium. The Kifwebe type is recognizable by its parallelepiped-shaped, prognathic facial profile, half-closed crescent-shaped eyes, and the almost hypnotic patterns flooding the edges of the structure. Bifwebe masks (plural of Kifwebe) remain one of the most famous examples in the corpus of African art. Very early on, they were associated with modern artists due to their unique expressiveness and the bold power they exude. Kifwebe masks fall into two main categories: the male Kilume masks and the female Kikashi masks. Although they were intended to evoke opposite impressions in the viewer, these two types of masks, when displayed together, represented a complementary duality. While the male masks possessed a powerful coercive dimension embodying evil forces, the female masks were considered symbols of benevolence. These two types of masks also share the initiatory secrets of Buci and Masende witchcraft.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue