Striking and compelling in its fiercely beautiful appearance, this carved wood Kifwebe mask was created by the Songye Tribe to be used in dance, ritual, or performance by the Congo peoples. As is typical of the early masks, the wood on the face has incised parallel lines, cut-out slit eyes and a protruding square mouth all painted with white, black, and red earth pigments. The low profile central crest indicates that this was for a female. The holes pierced around the outside would have been for fur or raffia decoration, no longer present.

The size is 14" high, 7" at its widest, and 5 1/2" deep.  A piece of string has been added on the back for hanging on a wall. There is some pigment loss and some minor chips on the edge none of which detract from the appearance, just reminds us that this mask has been used in real life situations.