Lwalwa masks: the construction of the face and movement in dance
The Nkaki Lwalwa mask documented in the Dalton Somaré archive dates to the beginning of the twentieth century. Made of wood and pigments, it measures 31 centimetres. Its face is constructed through planes joined to projecting elements: the nose, extended towards the forehead, the mouth and the chin establish a central axis, while the elongated eyes and temple scarification articulate its width. This organisation defines the visual language of Lwalwa masks from the Kasai region between Congo and Angola.
The composition draws its strength from the relationships between these elements. The nose interrupts the continuity of the cheeks and concentrates attention at the centre of the face; the mouth introduces a second projection below. Rectangular eyes extend laterally, linking the centre to the edges. Symmetry maintains the stability of the whole, while differences in depth alter the image as the angle of observation changes.
Dance is essential to understanding this construction. A cord held by the wearer supported the mask before the face; this means of attachment is part of the object’s physical structure. During movement, central projections and lateral planes received light differently. Studying the form therefore involves both the frontal view now familiar from photographs and the succession of views created by the dancer’s presence.
The Muséum du Havre holds an early twentieth-century Lwalwa mask, accession 2015.1.3, measuring 33.5 centimetres. Its record describes the fastening cord, choreographies and the use of these masks in hunting rituals and male initiation. The Dalton Somaré record specifically documents ngongo, the concluding stage of the first initiation cycle. Together, these accounts connect observation of the structure to its performance context.
The gallery’s example is published in Masks, 2012, pages 54–55. Bibliography, facial construction and the support system provide complementary starting points for research. Examining profile and frontal views together reveals how a seemingly strict composition produces a changing, mobile image. In a Lwalwa mask, the reduction of facial features thus retains a precise relationship with the body wearing it and the movement through which it becomes visible.
References and comparative works
Muséum du Havre, Masque Lwalwa, 2015.1.3
Dalton Somaré, Masks, 2012, pp. 54–55
Works in the Gallery
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