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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Posts: 182
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Hello dear fellow collectors,
A friend of mine got this African mask and asked me for my opinion. I don't know much about African masks, but it reminded me of "Bwoom" masks from Kongo. What do you think? Thank you Peter |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,222
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I would say a Kuba Mask,
Wikipedia indeed refers to it as a bwoom mask. Best regards, Willem |
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#3 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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HERE IS A WRITE UP ON THIS TYPE OF MASK
Kuba tribal wood carved helmet from the Republic of Congo. It is made mainly of wood Helmet masks of this kind are known among the Bushoong as Bwoom. This is one of the three so-called royal masks of the Kuba, the others being the Mwaash a Mbouy and the Ngaady a Mwaash. In reality it seems that the concept of a triad of "royal masks" has been grossly oversimplified. In truth, the Kuba/Bushoong produce a diversity of masks, and many can perform by themselves or in conjunction with lesser known initiatory or village masks. The Bwoom mask is quite possibly the autochthonous mask of the region, with variants in nearly all of the Kuba sub-groups. Though Bushoong folk tales exist to explain its appearance as a pygmy or a hydrocephalic, the mask may have more in common with other large masculine helmet masks dispersed over the wider general area. Unlike other Kuba masks such as the Mwaash a Mbouy, which is usually buried with its owner, the Bwoom may be passed down from one person to another. Thus it is not unusual to find old–in some cases ancient–Bwoom masks still being used by young dancers. This fine old mask has been rebeaded on numerous occasions and displays the more archaic "blindfold" style beading across the eyes, which in more modern examples becomes thin and stylized. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Posts: 182
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Thank you very much!!
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