Royal Mask – Beads, Cauri, Wood – Bwoom – Kuba – DR Congo

Great BWOOM Royal mask, richly decorated and with fine details.
Materials: wood, cauri shells, copper and iron plates, fabric and African beads.
Good condition with slight traces of tribal use.
Unique colorful mask for the collector of ancient African ethnographic art.

There are more than twenty different types of masks that function within the men’s initiation society.
Bwoom’s specific identity varies according to different versions of the myth. He may represent the king’s younger brother, a person of Twa descent, or a commoner. Embodying a subversive force within the royal court, the Bwoom masquerade is performed in conflict with the mask representing Woot.

Good condition with a wonderful aged patina. The wood inside the mask contains a crack.