Important masque, Songye, République Démocratique du Congo

Ancienne collection coloniale, Liège
Michel Boulanger, Liège
Pierre Dartevelle, Bruxelles
Acquis de Lance Entwistle, Londres

Good condition overall; wear consistent with age and use within the culture: thin age crack through proper right cheek; loss (insect damage) to the interior (top) resulting in a thin small open crack (2 cm) to the exterior of the forehead (centre), visible in the catalogue illustration (p. 2). Fine aged patina with black and white pigment.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Les masques kifwebe féminins - dépourvus de crête - sont les plus rares. Ici, l'audace caractéristique des formes - hautement symboliques - est mise en valeur par la perfection du rythme, ordonnant la dynamique des volumes déployés dans l'espace et les séquences du décor linéaire.

A la rigueur des formes répond la superbe densité de l'image, jouant sur les conflits entre les rondeurs et les pans coupés, entre les effets picturaux et la violence des traits projetés en très haut reliefs, entre le mouvement fermé des lignes concentriques et la dynamique des diagonales.  

La rigueur géométrique, la maîtrise parfaite du rythme et la densité de l'image renvoient aux anciens masques collectés en pays Songye dans les premières années du XX^e siècle, en particulier celui de la collection Henry Pareyn (Sotheby's, Paris, 23 juin 2006, n° 130), collecté entre 1900 et 1928.

Selon Hersak (1986 : 40) les masques féminins sont associés à la lune et aux pouvoirs bienveillants qui se réincarnent. Ils se produisent lors de danses nocturnes - cérémonies lunaires et d'investiture, ou à la mort d'un seigneur. Selon Neyt (2004 : 362), les raies et les stries qui marquent le visage sont "les réminiscences du parcours labyrinthique des initiés durant l'initiation du Bukishi".

Important Songe mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kifwebe female masks, which are devoid of a crest, are the rarest of all in the corpus of Songe masks. In this mask the characteristic audacity of the - highly symbolic - shapes is highlighted by a rhythmic perfection, which orchestrates the dynamics of volumes in space and sequences of the linear pattern.

Geometric rigor combined with a perfect command of rhythm and visual density evoke the ancient masks collected in the Songe country in the early 20^th century. See an example from the Henri Pareyn Collection (Sotheby's, Paris, 23 June 2006, lot 130), which was collected together with other examples between 1900 and 1928.

According to Hersak (1986 : 40) female masks are associated with the moon and benevolent reincarnated spirits. They are brought out during nocturnal dances -lunar, inauguration or funerary ceremonies for the death of a lord. According to Neyt (2004 : 362), grooves and striations that run across the face are "reminiscences of the labyrinth initiates must go through during the Bukishi initiation".