Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuba-style carver / mid- to late 1800s
Mask (Bwoom)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Mask (Bwoom) as mask (Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuba-style carver · mid- to late 1800s).
Imagine this mask topped with eagle feathers; they would have been added only on special occasions when it was performed.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this mask as Wood and paint.
The museum's collection notes: Among the Bushoong, the central Kuba group, the mask known as bwoom —most typically identified as the head of a hunter-gatherer—forms a triad with a female mask and another male mask. All three are protagonists in the reenactment of the foundation of the Kuba kingdom. Outside the capital, however, bwoom appears in different non-royal contexts, such as the men’s initiation society.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMask (Bwoom)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.