Superb male Kifwebe mask in wood, with scarifications typical of the Songye ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Height: 47 cm, width: 23 cm, traces of "wet" storage (see photos)

The Songye ethnic group

The Songye (or Songe), neighbors of the Luba to whom they are related by common ancestors, have approximately 400,000 members settled in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo on a plateau covered with savannah and forests. Divided into many subgroups, they are governed by a "central" chief, the yakitengé, whose function requires that he not show strong emotions, not have physical contact with the villagers and not drink in public. Local chiefs, the sultani ya muti, manage and allocate land to the villagers.

A powerful secret society, the Bwadi Bwa Kifwébé, counterbalances their powers... Its initiates are the only ones who have the knowledge necessary to address the gods.

Songye Masks

The Songye have created impressive masks, with powerful features, which are used during ceremonies related to their secret societies.

The best-known mask is the one worn by initiates of the Bwadi Bwa Kifwébé secret society (see above), called Kifwébé, which means "mask" in the Songye language. Its face is covered with incised linear scarifications and shows a rectangular mouth and an elongated nose placed between globular eyes.

The African Kifwébé mask can be masculine (as here), with a central crest - which refers to the mountains and the eastern direction from which the sun comes - or feminine, with a smooth hairstyle, in relation to the moon and the benevolent spirits who reincarnate; the size of the sagittal crest of the male Songyé mask indicates its power.

It appears during initiations, circumcisions and funerals: the wearer of the male mask, entirely covered in a costume of plant fibers, adopts an aggressive and unpredictable attitude intended to encourage social conformity, while the wearer of the female mask has softer and more controlled movements, intended to stimulate the fertility of women.