Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mask

Tabwa artist

Date

second quarter of 20th century

Medium

Glass beads, feathers, raffia, cloth, animal skin

Culture

Tabwa

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In the past (and maybe still today), medium diviners among the Tabwa people were possessed by spirits, which enabled them to seek explanations and cures for illness and other misfortunes. This process of enlightenment was called “the rising of the moon, ” an expression referring to the dawning of light and hope after a period of darkness. Tabwa artists graphically rendered this concept as a series of dark and light interlocking triangles, a very common motif that was incised as scarification on people’s bodies, braided into hairdos, woven into baskets, and engraved into metal bracelets. It is also visible on this diviner’s mask. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Africa

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