Possibly Bwa (also spelled Boa)
Uele region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Africa
Face Mask
INV-8711
Possibly Bwa (also spelled Boa)
Uele region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central AfricaLate 19th-early 20th century
Face Mask
Possibly Bwa (also spelled Boa) Uele region, Democratic Republic of the Congo Central Africa →bwaArts of Africaafrican ArtCentral Africamaskswood
Date
Late 19th-early 20th century
Medium
Wood, kaolin, and pigment
Dimensions
30.5 × 36.9 × 10.2 cm (12 × 14 1/2 × 4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by Samuel A. Marx
Little is known about the meaning and use of these masks. Only 20 examples are extant and even their common attribution to the little-known Bwa (or Boa) people remains uncertain. Named pongdudu in early 20th-century written sources, such face masks were described as promising to confer invulnerability during battle, and instilling fear in the enemy. However, recent research has indicated that the relationship between these masks and warfare is fictitious.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
