Very beautiful mask made of wood, kaolin and pigments, typical of the M'Bolé ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Height: 48 cm, width: 22 cm

The M’bolé ethnic group

The Mbolé live on the left bank of the Zaire River, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their number is estimated at around one hundred and fifty thousand individuals.

The Mbolé villages live autonomously and are led by a chief elected from among the elders of each family. They live mainly from the cultivation of cassava and rice, which is the responsibility of women, and from hunting, which is carried out by men.

Three societies structure the life of the Mbolé: the Ekanga, reserved for healers, the Otuku, for the wives of chiefs, and the Lilwa society, which controls most of the rites of social and religious life, from circumcision to death, through different initiation ceremonies. The leader of this society, known as isoya, plays such an important role in the lives of the villagers that after his death, they bury him in a tree and keep his hut empty as a sign of respect.

Mbolé Masks and Statues

The Mbolé are best known for their statues of hanged men with heart-shaped faces.

Mbolé masks are rare and worn only during circumcision ceremonies or for the funeral of a dignitary of the Lilwa society. Oval in shape, they evoke a human face and are covered in pigments.

Variants of the name Mbolé:

There are several variations to the name of the ethnic group: Bambole, Bole, Imona, Mboles