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Biombo (Bena Biombo,
Bashibiombo), Democratic Republic of the Congo
Circumcision
mask. The Biombo occupy a
territory limited to the region directly south of the junction of the Lulua and Kasai Rivers. The Biombo people form a kind of link
between the Kuba on the one hand and the Lele and the Pende on the other, although they
have generally remained under the hegemony of the Kuba. The Biombo are, however, an entirely
different group from the Kuba, with stylistic forms drawn from a variety of sources. The
masks attributed to them have surface decoration related to that of the Eastern Pende,
notably surfaces with triangles, but the principal mask shapes show Kuba influence. The
top of the Biombo mask often terminates in three short stubs. The masks were worn in
circumcision rites.
Material: wood
Size:
H. 13½”, W. 7½”, D. 3½”