Description:

Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba peoples, 1935. A large, dramatic mask known as a Pwoom Itiok, one of the three characters from the Kuba boys' initiation rites ceremonies, hand-carved from a dark, hardwood to present a bold countenance with bulging conical eyes, a prominent nose, angular facial planes, and fabulous face paint with triangular motifs adorning the forehead, horizontal striations at the temples, and diagonal lines over the broad cheeks. A decorated chin strap and a cloth headdress complete the piece. The chief identifying characteristic of this type of mask is the shape of the eyes, with cone-shaped centers surrounded by holes through which the wearer may see. Pwoom Itiok traditionally represented a wise elderly man at boys’ initiations. Size: 6.25" W x 11.25" H (15.9 cm x 28.6 cm)

See a similar example at the Brooklyn Museum (accession number 22.230).

Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, purchased from dealer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA in 1989

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#156483

  • Condition: Minor nicks and abrasions to wood mask, with fading to areas of original pigment, age-commensurate fraying and desiccation to head piece, and a few stable hairline fissures, otherwise intact and very good. Great remains of pigment across mask.

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July 30, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

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