Mask (mwaash aMbooy)
Kuba
Description
Mwaash a mbooy (or mosh ambooy mu shall) represents the Kuba cultural hero, Woot. This kind of mask is always made of skin, with cowrie shell eyes, a wooden nose, and a mouth covered with beads. The curved projection represents an elephant trunk, symbolizing power and royalty. It is used at male initiation rites and royal dances.
Subject Matter:
This mask depicts the founding Kuba king. Through masquerade, the current Kuba king reenacts the founding of the kingdom, defeating all obstacles in his way. The king links his own reign to the ancestral kings, legitimizing his own rule.
David Binkley, Avatars of Power, 1987
Donna Coates Rogers, Royal Art of Kuba 1978
Daniel Biebuyck, The Arts of Zaire, 1985
Georges Meurant, African Textiles from the Kingdom of Kuba, 1986
Roy Sieber, African Textiles and Decorative Arts, 1972
Jan Vansina, The Children of Woot, 1978
Physical Description:
Mask of a human figure. Embellished with presitious materials: dyed cloth, leopard skin, cowry shells, glass beads.
Usage Rights:
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