a Kuba Bwoom mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have many of these that aren’t as old as this one. It was collected in 1970 and was already old at that time. Here’s a bit of the story of this work of art:
“Kuba mythology revolves around three figures, each represented by a masquerade character: Woot, the creator and founder of the ruling dynasty; Woot’s spouse; and Bwoom. Bwoom’s specific identity varies according to different versions of the myth. He may represent the king’s younger brother, a person of Twa descent, or a commoner. Embodying a subversive force within the royal court, the Bwoom masquerade is often performed in conflict with the masked figure representing Woot.”
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