The word Kifwebe means “mask” for the people of the Congo River basin, the Luba and Songye tribes. High-ranking, ruling elite men in a tribal secret brotherhood called Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe wore these masks in a ritual dance. They came complete with a disguise of a woven, tight-fitting net-like costume, animal pelts, and long, thick, dark raffia beards. They danced to ward off unseen enemies, to accompany a soul during a funeral, as a celebration in initiation, to conquer evil spirits and illness, and to protect from disaster. Some scholars believe tribes used the Kifwebe in a human sacrifice ritual.
The Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe brotherhood considered the masks sacred. They played a role in the establishment of order and retention of elite power in the community. Varying in size from a whole helmet to a small maskette or pendant, the mask wearers appeared at secular and sacred events, such as healing rituals and new moon rites.
Kifwebe masks of the Congo River
The masks appear distinctive and stylized representations of a human skull, painted in combinations of white, red and black. They associated red with aggression and blood, white with purity. They used white on female masks. The noses, eyes, and mouths did not protrude as much as the male mask’s features. White pigment is made from Kaolin powder. They carved masks with deep striations, which retained the pigment and emphasized the grooves, seen in LL’s mask around the eyes. When danced, the lines on the masks caught the firelight or sunlight and the face seemed to ripple. Some scholars believe the tradition of the striated grooves on the Kifwebe masks indicate a connection between the mystical powers held by both the porcupine and the zebra, striped creatures of high contrast, representing good and evil, black and white.
LL’s mask is a male, as we see from the forehead line down to the prominent nose, a feature on all male masks. The exaggeration of the nose and mouth indicate the skull’s spirit could smell and project speech. The mask, sculpted in three dimensions, creates a balanced symmetrical face, featuring that characteristic extended mouth. Threaded cords wrapped around the head attached the mask to the face. Masks covered the entire face and ears, a huge beard covered the neck. The costume disguised the wearer.
Lines Carved on the Mask Contain Magic
Those lines represent certain numbers and elements of magic. The Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe brotherhood knew that and passed the wisdom down. The brotherhood associated this esoteric knowledge with the ideology of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft, used for good and ill, with a central focus on power. The Kifwebe, acting as community policemen, donned masks and danced away disruptive elements. They re- establishing order and their own rulership of the group. LL’s mask serves as a living, breathing essence of his former owner’s belief in mystical power. He represents an attempt to control the uncontrollable and to know the unknowable. That attempt seems to lie at the heart of humankind’s search for a spirit power larger than the human being.
These masks became associated with the first quarter of the 20th century quest for a new language in modern art, so their creative spirit lived on. The Kifwebe masks were widely collected through French speaking Belgian dealers who traded in Congo. The best, and most knowledgeable, of all early African art dealers were based in Paris, and still are to this day.
Each feature, color, and carving on the mask represents a spirit force, whether that spirit be human or animal. The shape of the face on the mask indicates the type of spirit and the method of control the mask might exude. For example, a round faced mask with round concentric grooves were used for benevolent purposes. They likely used LL’s mask for more aggressive purposes, such as to purify the community of evil sorcerers.
Today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Kifwebe masked dance rituals are used to pass down cultural tractions as well as for entertainment. In the 19th century, however, the masks were as serious as demonic possession. Tradition, history, power, and beauty are represented in these Kifwebe masks. LL’s is worth $1,500.