Luba animal mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo
ex private US collection
18" tall (including attachments), 10" tall (mask alone) x 8" wide
wood, pigment, bark fiber raffia
The stand is included with the mask.
A very intriguing mask to me, one that I like very much. I hadn't had much experience with Luba animal masks before I purchased this example, so
it was a good opportunity for me to do a little research, I always enjoy a little challenge.
At first I reached out to people in the African Arts and Culture online discussion group to see if people had any thoughts or experience with this
type of mask and then I did a little reading in the book "Beauty and the Beasts - Kifwebe and animal masks of the Songye, Luba and related
peoples." by Marc L. Felix. I found a couple of examples in the book that had stylistic similarities to this mask, along with a wealth of information
on their traditional uses within these cultures.
A member of the discussion group commented that the features of the mask were similar in appearance to that of the Diana monkeys that are
found in the D.R.C. I created a page on Rand African Art that documented the mask examples I found in the book as well as images of the Diana
monkeys, click here to view the page, the link will open in a new window.
I also had an opportunity to show Marc L. Felix photos of the mask when I was in Brussels in June; he has done extensive field research and
written several publications on these types of masks. His initial conclusion was that the mask was not supposed to represent a monkey, he said
that the distance between the base of the nose and the top of the upper lip was too narrow for the mask to be depicting a monkey. He stated that
the distance between those two points was generally much greater if the mask was to represent a monkey. The carving of the lips on the mask
was also not typical for the depiction of a monkey, the lips were more like the Lomotwa masks that depicted a woman.
The mask is most likely a later example carved by a Luba carver. It may have been danced for some purpose, but it shows no real signs of age or
use. It's a striking example in my opinion, with a powerful yet serene presence about it.
$900
To inquire about this mask, send an email to RAND@DiscoverAfricanArt.com with a subject line of "Luba zoomorphic mask"
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