Accession Number
1985/1.143

Title
Mask (mwaash aMbooy)

Artist(s)
Kuba

Artist Nationality
Kuba (Democratic Republic of Congo style)

Object Creation Date
1900-1985

Medium & Support
wood, paint, wool cloth, fiber cloth, cowrie shell, glass beads and leopa

Dimensions
16 9/16 in x 12 3/16 in x 10 13/16 in (42 cm x 31 cm x 27.5 cm);22 1/16 in x 12 3/16 in x 10 13/16 in (56 cm x 31 cm x 27.5 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Al and Margaret Coudron

Label copy
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.

Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving

Primary Object Type
mask

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
beads
funeral ornaments (personal ornament)
geometric motifs
initiations
masks
masquerades
prestige
royalty