Object Details
Maker
Kuba artist
Label Text
This mask was photographed by its donor, Life magazine photographer Eliot Elisofon, while being danced in Muenshi village in 1972. Made of cloth, fiber, glass beads and cowrie shells, Mukyeem is a variant on the royal mwaash a mboy mask, but can be distinguished by its projecting elephant trunk with two small tusks. It is found not among the royal Bushong clan but among the Kete and other peoples that made up the Kuba kingdom where traditionally it was a funerary mask. The materials and the elephant form convey the importance of the individual who died and the white color of the cowries also suggests the spirit world. The red parrot feathers (from the tail of the African grey parrot) at the tip of the trunk are inserted for the dance and are a nobleman's privilege.
Description
Cap mask with leather face, and cowrie shells forming the eyes and framing the face and back of head. The trunk-like extension from top of the head alternates glass beads and cowrie shells and ends in a red feather bundle. Mask has a raffia beard ruff.
Provenance
Eliot Elisofon, New York, collected Muenshi village, 1972-1973
Exhibition History
Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, February 1-June 15, 2008
Celebration: A World of Art and Ritual, Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C., March 17, 1982-July 10, 1983
Published References
Park, Edwards. 1983. Treasures of the Smithsonian. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, p. 379.
Pemberton III, John. 2008. African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment. Northampton: Smith College Museum of Art, p. 152, no. 79.
Smithsonian Institution. Office of Folklife Programs and Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art. 1982. Celebration: A World of Art and Ritual. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 64, no. 27b, illustrated p. 20.
Turner, Jane (ed). 1996. "Africa." The Dictionary of Art, Vol. 1. New York: Grove, p. 301, no. 58.
Content Statement
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Credit Line
Bequest of Eliot Elisofon
Date
Mid-late 20th century
Object number
73-7-440
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Mask
Medium
Plant fiber, raffia, cloth, metal, cowrie shells, glass beads, feathers, wood
Dimensions
H x W x D: 39.5 x 45.0 x 53.9 cm (15 9/16 x 17 11/16 x 21 1/4 in.)
Geography
Muenshi village, Democratic Republic of the Congo
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Funerary
elephant
Male use
male
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_73-7-440