Additional Information: A massive example of a Kuba Bushoong Moshambwooy mask. Standing on a a custom stand for immediate display.  Variants of such a mask are also found among the  the Ngoongo, sub-group of Kuba people, where they are known as  Mukyeem or mukenga mask For a long time people used to call this type of masks moshambwooy, but there is a substantial difference between these two masks. Examples of Royal Moshambwooy mu Shall are very rare to find. Most of the so-called Moshambwooy housed by public or private collections are of Ngongo workmanship type named Mukyeem mask. They all are helmet masks and decorated with a lot of cowrie shells and beads. On Mukyeem mask, the headdress is extended by a long, central, trunk-like appendage (sometimes with two offshoots) suggesting the elephant's tusk. Attached to the end of the trunk is raffia fibers , which can be replaced by a bright red, tuft of parrot feathers. Moshambwooy is usually topped with a high structure decorated with feathers. There is no elephant tusk-like on moshambwooy (see examples on Face of Spirits). The greatest of the three "most significant" masks of the BaKuba, this mask represents Woot, the "first ancestor," rather like Adam. He and his brother vied for the affection of their sister, who later married Woot. The mask has a large protruding horn in the form of a bent elephant tusk and decorated with cowrie shells and beads . This horn gives to the name its name of Elephant mask. The headdress is also nicely decorated with cowrie shells. Other details include wooden ears, and nose, eyes in cowrie shells and eyebrows made out of beads.The mask is decorated with a huge raffia ruff.The face is covered with raffia. This mask is of Ngoongo workmanship. While they have the same shape as the Moshambooy of Kuba Bushoong, the Ngongo masks of this type bear the name Mukyeem. There are small differences, but both masks are associated with power of nature spirits. Both have feathers and an...

• Type of Object: Helmet mask
• Materials: Wood, beads, cowrie shells, raffia fibers
• Country of Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo
• Dimensions: Height: 63 InchesWidth: 20 InchesDepth: 25 Inchesmask alone is 38 inches tall. base is 11.5 x 13.25 inches.
• People: Kuba

Type of Object: Helmet maskAfrica Direct