Alunga' Mask

unidentified Congolese

Congolese

----

undated

Masks of this type are used by the men's alunga association of the Bembe, who live on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika. The two-faced mask was carved in two sections, bound together back-to-back, and was worn over the head as a helmet, with a large crest of feathers projecting dramatically from the top of the head. "The mask, called ibulu lya 'alunga (head of 'alunga), represents a powerful spirit of the bush (m'ma mwitu). Traditionally preserved in a secret cave( lwala), the mask is brought to a shack (lutanda) built in the bush outside the village for the secret initiation of new members in the alunga association, for hunting cults, for social control functions, and for public dance performances. It is worn by a specialist who ranks the highest in the association and who holds the title of "spirit of the bush." This expert knows not only how to wear the cumbersome mask but also the specialized dances, and he is versed in a manner of speaking and singing in a hoarse gutteral voice. Whenever the mask is donned, it is topped with a crown (ehala) of quills and feathers; a rigid fiber collaret is attached to the bottom holes of the mask. Specialized dressers (ba'wa icwalelo) help the expert dancer put on the mask and the large fiber costume (asamba) with genet hides and straps of bark" (Biebuyck 1972 and 1984). Janiform masks and figures seem to be particularly popular among the Bembe (cf. CMS 323- Bembe figure). With its four huge concave orbits and star-shaped eyes, and its total lack of other facial features, these masks are particularly clear reminders that African art is representative, not representational. -- Professor Christopher Roy, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa

Equatorial Forest
Africa
Congo (Zaire)

Bembe (Kongo)

Height: 19 1/2 inches
Width: 5 inches

Wood, Pigment, Fiber

The Stanley Collection

University of Iowa. Stanley Museum of Art

x1986_414

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wood (plant material)
pigment
fiber

183425165

Worn over head

Initiation
Religion
Spirit

Represents forest/hunting spirit