Mask (kidumu)
Artist Unidentified
20th century, 1950–2000
Object PlaceRepublic of the Congo; Democratic Republic of Congo
Medium/TechniqueWood, woven raffia cloth, feathers, raffia, pigment
DimensionsOverall: 35 x 33 x 7 cm (13 3/4 x 13 x 2 3/4 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2697
On View
Not on viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
Part of a mask costume, these headpieces appeared in masquerades linked with a nature spirit called Nkita. Young male members of an association entered the village from the wilderness and executed vigorous, cartwheeling dances. When the Teke converted to Christianity, the masquerades ceased. But in the 1960s carvers began to produce these masks again for export and cultural events. This work belongs to the revival period.
ProvenanceSold by the Galerie Burgui, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
