Female helmet mask "tshimoana" ("tshimwana")
Click here to view a larger version of the image
Female helmet mask "tshimoana" ("tshimwana")
D. R. Congo, Biombo
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Old German Collection Galerie Möllenhof & Greve, Cologne, Germany German Private Collection Austria Auction Company, "Tribal Art 1", Vienna, 6 June 2017, Lot 64 |
H: 15.7 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, colour pigments, base
The Biombo live at the confluence of the Lulua and Kasai rivers. Their culture is closely linked to that of the Kuba-Bushoong, Kete and Kasai-Pende.
According to Himmelheber, three types of Biombo masks can be distinguished: "munjinga", the messenger who appears first at dance festivals, the female mask "tshimoana" and "muluala", a mask with chameleon eyes that appears at funerals of important personalities (Himmelheber, 1960, p. 354).
"Tshimoana" is crowned by three appendages, which probably represent a traditional hairstyle of the Bena Biombo. Masks of the Biombo are usually dyed with red pigment "tukula" and bear black and white patterns in the cheek region. Around their necks they wear luxuriant collars made of raffia.
