Mask - Tabwa - DR Congo (No Reserve Price)

African mask from a hut, reproducing in miniature the famous zoomorphic mask symbolizing power. Old patina embedded with residual kaolin. The Tabwa (meaning "scarify" and "write") are an ethnic group present in southeastern DRC, around Lake Tanganyika. The tribes of this region, such as the Tumbwe, venerate the mipasi ancestors through sculptures held by chiefs or sorcerers. A magical charge (dawa) was placed at the top of the statues' heads. Diviners-healers used this type of object to reveal witchcraft and protect against evil spirits. Simple farmers without centralized power, the Tabwa federated around tribal chiefs.