Africa | Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lwalwa Mask
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mfondo mask
Early 20th century
Carved wood and pigments
Height: 32 cm – 12 ½ in.
Provenance
Ex Bass collection (Marianne & Kurt Westerberg), Sweden (1986)
Ex collection Leridon, Paris
Literature
« Afrikanskt, African Art, a source of inspiration for modern art »,
Malmö Konsthalls, 1986, p. 126
Lwalwa mask Afrikanskt / Galerie Flak
Price on request
This Mfondo Lwalwa mask is remarkable in terms of its power and its highly Cubist construction. Classic Lwalwa art classic emphasizes the geometrization of shapes, a bold tension in its lines combined with the seductive appeal of curves.
Meant for use in initiation rites for young men in Ngongo society, these masks – where the bridge of the nose is reminiscent of the beak of some birds – were also used in hunting rituals to appease the spirits.
From the time that they were first "discovered" in the Western World in the 1930s, Lwalwa masks were admired and sought after by collectors and artists.
Meant for use in initiation rites for young men in Ngongo society, these masks – where the bridge of the nose is reminiscent of the beak of some birds – were also used in hunting rituals to appease the spirits.
From the time that they were first "discovered" in the Western World in the 1930s, Lwalwa masks were admired and sought after by collectors and artists.
Publication
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