Luba kifewebe mask
The Luba are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa, and the largest ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They are indigenous to the Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema regions which were historic provinces of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The kifewebe masks originated from the Luba and are also made, in a different way, by their Songye neighbors.
It is an elaborate combination of linear incisions and colors.
They are made for and danced by the kifewebe secret cult and used for connecting to the spirit world and ancestors.
This very large piece is a male mask as it is bearing a crest. Its « coffee beans » eyes, and the round, grooved shape are a fine representation of the Luba art.
