Tribal Art

Tribal mask divided into areas of contrasting colors, and incised eyelids in an inverted "v" shape. The arch of the eyebrows is marked with perforations, and prolonged in its center by a reduced nose very slightly rolled up evoking youth. Under a bulge, the mouth is animated by incisions representing teeth. These African masks come into play at the funerals of Lilwa dignitaries or are used by the blacksmith during circumcision rituals. Raffia filling
The province of Lualaba had a number of related ethnic groups with similar associations. The Mbole and the Yela are known for their statues embodying, according to D. Biebuck, hanged men, named ofika. The lilwa , an association with dogmatic initiation rites, had the custom of judging and condemning to hanging those guilty of ...

This rare Jonga mask, whose volume gradually tightens, has protruding eyebrow arches, in the heart, under which small orifices appear the pupils. It has a rectangular mouth incised with teeth, giving it a ferocious appearance. A bichrome that is also observed on the statuary of the ethnic group animates the whole.
as grainy matte-use aerospace. Slight desication crack. Erosions at the top.
The Mbole forment one of the many clans belonging to the Mongo Ethnic Group including the Bolia, Bokote, Bongandu, Ekonda, Mbole, Dengese, Nkutu, Ntomba, Kole, Sengele, Songomeno, Iyasa, Bakutu, Bakusu, Iyadjima (Iyaelima), Boyela and the Batetela. The latter are divided between the southern province of Ecuador (province) and the northern province of Bandundu in the Democratic Republic of ...

The suffering face of this sculpted figure refers to the sentence of the condemned Lilwa. The particularity of this piece also lies in the openings of the hips intended to hold the statuette on the stretcher of the condemned with the help of links. The position is characteristic: the legs bent, arms bent uns naturally, hands resting on the thighs. Interesting grainy black patina, punctuated with residue of abrased kaolin. Discreet native resin resturations.
The province of Lualaba had several close ethnic groups with similar associations. The Mbole are known for their statues, according to D. Biebuck, of the hanged, named ofika . The lilwa , an association with dogmatic initiation rites, had the custom of judging and sentencing those guilty of violations of the imposed rules to ...

The Mbole are one of the many clans belonging to the Mongo Ethnic Group including the Bolia, Bokote, Bongandu, Ekonda, Mbole, Dengese, Nkutu, Ntomba, Kole, Sengele, Songomeno, Iyasa, Bakutu, Bakusu, Iyadjima (Iyaelima), Boyela and the Batetela. These are divided between the southern province of Ecuador (province) and the northern province of Bandundu (province) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tribe of the Mbole group, the Jonga live in the forest south of the Mbolé, hunting and agriculture. Their artistic production, mainly representing ancestors, is poorly documented. All of these groups had similar associations and initiation rituals in which masks were used. This mask, whose protrusion of the eyebrows houses the slanted slits of the eye, has a placid and smiling appearance. ...