Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ngady Mwaash Mask

Bushoong Kuba artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Wood, cloth, cowrie shells, beads, pigment, plant fibers

Culture

Bushoong Kuba

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Bushoong believe that in order to achieve balance in life, it is important to connect with their ancestors. The spirit world acts as an intermediary to the ancestors by communicating important guidance to the living. Like many cultures, death is a natural event in the life cycle, and is seen as a transition rather than an end. For the Bushoong, funerals are extremely important ceremonies because although it is a time for mourning, it is also a time for celebrating the person's transition into the afterlife. Typically, the Bushoong perform a masquerade that honors tradition and heritage during funeral ceremonies. It is through their performance that the masked dancers reenact their origin story. The Ngady Mwaash mask shown here, personifies the wife of the ancestral king Woot who is represented by the mask Mwaash Mbooy. The two of them share their history with the observers as they tell the story of how they came to lead their people. Bushoong Kuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

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