Early 20th century
Wood and pigments
31 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Connecticut
Pace Primitive, New York
Dalton Somaré, Milan
Celestine Clamra Collection, New York
Publications
Masks, Dalton Somaré, Milan, 2012, pp. 54-55
Lwalwa Masks and Congo Art
The Lwalwa masks are certainly among the most original expressions of Central African art. The Lwalwa belong to the groups living in the region where the Kasai River marks the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
Apparently unrelated to other major sculptural traditions of the area, Lwalwa masks are distinguished by highly consistent and immediately recognizable formal characteristics. The nose, exceptionally prominent, extends upward to the forehead and is surmounted by a headdress marked by a central ridge.
The eyes, rectangular and elongated, are often emphasized by a white line ending at the temple scarifications. The projecting mouth and pointed chin complete the strict symmetry of the face, creating an image of remarkable sculptural intensity and ritual presence.
Ritual Function and Initiatory Use
A cord made of vegetal fibers, threaded through a hole in the mouth of the mask, was held between the dancer’s teeth in order to keep the mask firmly positioned before the face during ritual performances.
Women and children were forbidden from witnessing the ceremonies in which these masks were used, particularly the ngongo, the concluding stage of the first male initiation cycle associated with circumcision.
These ancient Lwalwa ritual masks stand among the most radical and recognizable examples of Congo sculpture, characterized by extreme formal synthesis, powerful symbolic presence and remarkable stylistic autonomy.
