Passport mask – Wood – Salampasu – Congo

Lovely Salampasu mask from DR Congo.

SALAMPASU masks are famous and are characterized by a bulging forehead, slanted eyes, a triangular nose and a rectangular mouth displaying filed teeth. This wooden mask has beautiful feathers on top of the head. It was used for initiation ceremonies related to the warriors` society. (The Tribal Arts of Africa, Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, p180)

The 60,000 SALAMPASU people live on the frontier between the D.R. Congo and Angola.

The mask is in good condition and has a powerful appearance.

Provenance: former private Dutch collection.