|
Name
|
Bongo |
|
Code
|
Bakuba 018 |
|
Tribe
|
Ngeende (linked to Bushoong): Kuba kingdom |
|
Country
|
Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo |
|
Notes
|
The kingdom of the Kuba is long established, its institutions dating back to the 16th century. The Bushoong are the leading group, from whom the king, nyimi, originates. The Ngeende, another tribe in the kingdom, have a more extensive history of mask making than many of their neighbours, probably because they have been closely bound to the Bushoong.
I believe that this wooden bell mask is Bongo, the Ngeende equivalent of the Bwoom mask. Hierarchically, Bongo holds second place as the king’s mask, after Moshambwooy. It is a dance mask, with large nostrils. The dancer wears the mask pushed back over the head. This explains the holes bored in the upper lip, through which a cord of raffia is threaded for the dancer to hold beween his teeth for stability. |
| Bibliography |
Face of the Spirits: Masks of the Zaire Basin; Frank Herreman, Constantijn Petridis
Art and life in Africa: Selections from the Stanley collection, Christopher D Roy |
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