Africa

Mystery Kuba mask from Central Africa

Q: I may have a mystery mask for you. The attached was labeled as a Kuba M’boom mask. It may be Kuba, but I doubt it’s a M’boom. I guess it’s possible. The front is partially covered in copper sheet. Do you have any notion what kind of mask it is? Aaron, 1644

A: The only thing that strongly suggests it might be a Kuba M’boom is the forehead area. There is also the possibility of your mask coming from other tribes in the central Congo (DRC) region such as the Lele, Bushoong, Ngeende, and some others. I know, that’s not much help. So let’s hope that sone of our African specialist will share their opinions. It is a wonderful looking mask that deserves some research. Please tell us when, where and how you got it. A

Aaron is creator of the Second Face Museum of Cultural Masks. If you have not visited his site, do so.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

I accept the Privacy Policy