What is the Lwalwa mask used for?
These masks were worn at dances to celebrate the circumcision and initiation of young men into the Ngongo society and to appease the spirits that control hunting.
What do Punu masks represent?
Punu masks represent idealized female ancestors’ faces. The white color of the mask is genderless; white is a symbol for peace, deities, spirits of the dead, and the afterlife. It is thus the predominating color in funeral celebrations and memorials. Therefore the masks were worn during funerals.
What is the Lulua mask made out of?
The oldest type has keloids and an encrusted red patina; a later style does not have scarifications, while the most recent type characteristically has simplified features and is made of thicker wood. Sometimes the masks were covered with copper plate and had vegetal-fibre bells attached at the chin.
Who uses the Punu mask?
Among iconic works of African art, the Punu masks are one of the most desirable. Since the beginning of the beginning of the 20th century, collectors, dealers and artists were fascinated by their powerful interiority. These masks were worn by dancers standing on high stilts during funerary ceremonies called mukudja.
What does the Kwele mask symbolize?
Thought to represent benevolent forest spirits, the masks represent people or animals, or a combination of the two. Many lack eye slits; the masks are shown rather than worn, and many are painted with white kaolin earth, which the Kwele associate with light and clarity.
How is the Kwele mask worn?
The Kwele mask is mostly heart shaped with the mouth being very close to the chin. Kwele mask are not worn in ceremonies and are instead shown to the spectators.
Where is the Lulua tribe located?
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Lulua people are a Bantu ethnic group settled along the Lulua River valley in south central Kasai-Occidental province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Where is Lulua?
| Lulua District | |
|---|---|
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Province | Kasai-Occidental |
| District | Lulua |
| Area |
Where is the Teke mask from?
The African Teke mask originates from the upper Ogowe region in Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. Members of the Kidumu society wear Teke masks either during the funerals of chiefs, or weddings, or important meetings.
What is Lwalwa sculpture?
Lwalwa sculptors are privileged members of the tribe and are highly paid for their craft. T his Lwalwa mask is an ‘mvondo’ mask which is worn by men. Lwalwa masks are stylized using simple geometric forms to represent the features of the face.
What is a Lwalwa mask made of?
Lwalwa masks are carved from a wood called ‘mulela’ and colored with a dye from the fruit of the ‘mukula’ tree, also called the ‘bloodwood’ or ‘sealing wax’ tree. Lwalwa sculptors are privileged members of the tribe and are highly paid for their craft.
Who are the Lwalwa people?
The Lwalwa people are related to the Lulua and like them, the men are hunters and the women are farmers. They live in the southwest area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stretching into Angola.
