Plant fibre mask "kalengula"
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Lot: 334
97th AuctionPlant fibre mask "kalengula"
D. R. Congo, Luntu, Kasai region
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Allan Stone, New York, USA | H: 23.6 inch |
2500 EUR
plus 23 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
raffia, colour pigments, grass fibre, eyes and diadem-shaped headdress worked separately, base
This plant fibre mask was previously attributed to the Binji. More recent research assigns it to the Luntu.
This is based on a photo taken by the anthropologist Albert Maesen in a Luntu village in 1955, which shows a mask dancer wearing a similar mask. In his field notes, Maesen states that this mask is called "kalengula" and is worn at the initiation or funeral of a member of the "bukalenga bwa nkashaama" brotherhood.
Only a few comparable examples of this type of plant fibre mask can be found. One object comes from a mission museum of the White Fathers in Ghent (AHDRC 0125719), a second is found in the holdings of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren (AHDRC 0125720).
