Penn Museum
• Exhibitions and Collections •
NEW to the Collections
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Kuba
Masks
African rulers used art to show their wealth and power. These Kuba masks
are among Africa's most famous and convey the story of the origins of
the Kuba peoples. The masks in this case would be danced along with a
mask representing the King, Mwaash aMbooy (not in case, see image) in
a royal ceremony which reenacts the royal dynastic myth. These masks may
also appear at initiation and funeral ceremonies. These masks are part
of a full body costume made of bark cloth and raffia cloth with a variety
of symbolic objects attached. As with most Kuba art, they are embellished
with cowries, beads, metal, fur, rafia fiber and geometric designs. The
color of the beads have the following significance: the blue range of
colors are suggestive of high rank; the red range of suffering and fertility;
and the white range of purity, the sacred, and mourning. The cowrie shells
are a display of the king's unique wealth and status.
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Ngaady
aMwaash Mask
Kuba peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo (Formerly Zaire),
19th-20th Century; Wood, Raffia Cloth, Beads, Cowrie Shells, Pigment; Object
ID 97-18-33; Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Hill II
This mask represents the daughter of the great God Woot, who is also the
wife of the first king from whom all Kuba royalty trace their lineage. A
Kuba ideal of beauty, Ngaady aMwaash was fought over by Mwaash aMbooy, her
husband and king, and his brother, Bwoom. The diagonal lines below the eyes
represent tears and refer to the hardships of women as well as the funerary
context in which this mask also performs. The strip of beadwork that covers
her mouth, perhaps refer to the silence of women. |
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Bwoom
Helmet Mask
Kuba peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire),
19th-20th Century; Wood, Raffia Cloth, Sheet Copper, Beads, Cowrie Shells,
Seed Pods, Hide, Animal Hair; Object ID 97-18-23; Gift of Dr. & Mrs.
Robert M. Hill II
This mask, with its bulging forehead, represents Bwoom, the son of the great
God, Woot. Bwoom was sent to Earth by his father to establish the Kuba dynasty.
He was accompanied by his sister Ngaady aMwaash, and his brother Mwaash
aMbooy (the King; see image) with whom he struggles with for power. Bwoom
seeks both his brother's throne and wife, Ngaady aMwaash. Bwoom also symbolically
speaks for the common man. |
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ALSO
NEW TO THE COLLECTIONS...
Butter Container
Negele (Arussi Province), Ethiopia, 20th Century; Gourd,
Leather; Object ID 2003-23-4; Gift of Harry S. Bingham
Traditional milk products such as butter, ghee, and milk are important commodities
in Ethiopia. In addition to its high market value, butter is also important
because of its ceremonial use as an article of tribute. It also has many
daily life uses such as in coffee and food preparation. This decorated gourd
was used by women to carry butter for the grooming of their hair. |
