REPRESENTATIONS OF ROYALTY

"A FOUNDING FATHER"

The Moshambwooy is named after a dangerous water-spirit and is considered by Kuba elders to be the symbol of Woot, the founding hero of the Kuba people. It can be called Moshambwooy mushal, the "feathered" Moshambwooy, which represents the meaning and authority of the king's mask. These mask can not be made or danced without the king's permission. This mask is danced at boys iniation ceremonies and during reenactments of the legend of the founding of the Kuba nation.

The mask depicts an old man with a white beard (although the beard is not attached to the chin of this mask), which symbolizes both the ancestor Woot and the wisdom of a man with great experience. The face of the Moshambwooy is made by stretching animal skin over a rigid frame (the king's mask is made of leopard skin, a symbol of royalty and chiefship). The interlacing pattern of beads and cowrie shells that decorate the mask are also signs of royalty.


"A COMMONER HALF-BROTHER"

This mask represents the Kuba legendary figure Bwoom. Bwoom is the commoner half-brother of Woot, the royal founding father of the Kuba people. The legend states that Bwoom contested his brother's right to the thrown and his marriage to Ngady amwaash, represented by the royal female mask. The Bwoom mask is danced at boys initiation ceremonies and in reenactments of the founding of the Kuba society.

This mask is carved from a single piece of wood (some rare royal mask are made of antelope leather). The legend of Bwoom identifies him as a pygmy or hydrocephalic, which is signified by the enlarged forehead and wide nose of the mask. The three lines on the forehead of the Bwoom mask, usually made of beads, is a design called Bwoong, they represent a kind of trident. The row of beads that run from the nose down to the mouth is a decoration reminiscent of some types of royal headdress. The costume worn with the mask is a raffia tunic that prevents any part of the dancer's body from being seen, because he is representing a spirit.


"THE POWER OF A CHIEF"

Of the three masks belonging to the chiefly regalia, of the Eastern Pende people, Pumbu is deemed the most dangerous and is reserved for only the most powerful chiefs. The Pumbu mask represents the part of the executive branch that must deal with war and execution. The Pumbu, unlike the majority of other mask, is only danced on special occasions such as, when the chief is seriously ill, in times of illness or famine, when other issues are causing disruption in the community or when the chief feels threatened. Through the dancing of the Pumbu the chief asserts his authority.

The interlacing diamond patterns of the mask are symbols of chiefship and royalty. The large wide opened eyes of the mask, showing lots of white conveys anger. The beared teeth of the mask symbolize the fierce power of the chief and the ears sticking out from the sides of the mask mean that the chief hears everything that goes on and knows all. The overall aesthetics of the mask are meant to evoke fear, this idea is even more evident in the performance of this mask.


Introduction| Portraits of African Women| The Symbolism of Animals| Bibliography| Map of Africa