Cleveland Museum of Art

Mask (Bwoom)

Date

mid- to late 1800s

Medium

Wood and paint

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuba-style carver

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Among the Bushoong, the central Kuba group, the mask known as bwoom —most typically identified as the head of a hunter-gatherer—forms a triad with a female mask and another male mask. All three are protagonists in the reenactment of the foundation of the Kuba kingdom. Outside the capital, however, bwoom appears in different non-royal contexts, such as the men’s initiation society. Imagine this mask topped with eagle feathers; they would have been added only on special occasions when it was performed.

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