Object Details
Photographer
Elisofon, Eliot
Collection Photographer
Elisofon, Eliot
Collection Citation
Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
Scope and Contents
Original note on contact print reads, "Zapa - Kowuamba. Songe." Double names are common in Eastern Congo and may refer to either a village or a chief or both.
The secret concerning the function of statuary and masks are the exclusive domain of the male members of society. The dualistic concept of magic, that of whichcraft (Buci), and of sorcery (Masende) in political and social behavior and supplies both meaning and functions to objects used by the Songye.
While the striped masks of the Songye take part in functions of black magic, their statuary is linked to white magic. The statues are consecrated by specialists with mystical power to counteract the effect of evil spirits and to foster health and well being in the community, family or individual. It is the ngange, the magical practitioner, who adds to the figure all sorts of paraphernalia. Necklaces are added as emblems of the chief's power.
The present day Songye people inhabit a vast area of the Congo concentrated in the province of Eastern and stretching into parts of Katanga and Kiori. The largest subgroups include the Kalebwe, Eastern SongeSongye, nde, Bala, Cibenji, Lembwe, Songa, Cofew and the Budia.
sova.eepa.1973-001_ref534
General
Title source: Archives staff; not provided by photographer.
Caption source: Archives staff.
Place
Africa
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Photographer
Elisofon, Eliot
Culture
Songye (African people)
See more items in
Eliot Elisofon Field collection
Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Congo (Democratic Republic) / B/w
Extent
1 Negatives (photographic) (b&w, 35 mm.)
Date
1947
Archival Repository
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
Identifier
EEPA.1973-001, Item EEPA b/w 22923 R-11
Type
Archival materials
Negatives (photographic)
Black-and-white negatives
Collection Rights
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Bibliography
At First Sight: Photography and the Smithsonian (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003).
Genre/Form
Black-and-white negatives
Collection Restrictions
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
EEPA.1973-001_ref534
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo75229fe59-a004-42f7-86ef-4959dd57545d
EEPA.1973-001
EEPA
Record ID
ebl-1536870822481-1536871012556-2