Mask (Pwoom itok)

The Kuba is a federation of eighteen subgroups lead by the Bushong (or Bushoong) and located within what is today considered the Democratic Republic of Congo. This alliance seems to have existed since at least the sixteenth century. Kuba masks are made of wood and often decorated with polychrome, cowrie shells, and colored beads. The pwoom itok mask takes part in the Kuba culture’s male initiation ceremony. It takes the form of an old, wise man who other dancers consult. The mask form is identified through the characteristic shape of its eyes: projecting round shapes surrounded by a recessed socket containing a series of small circular holes through which the performer looked. Surrounding this is a raised round oculus. The oval-shaped mask is painted with gold stripes and white dots that imitate the guineafowl feathers that project from its crown. Attached to the temples, extending around the back, and hanging down to cover the back of the performer’s head is a piece of cloth decorated with cowrie shells and small white and black glass beads, which similarly echo the patterning of both the feathers and paint. Traditionally, these feathers were reserved for high titleholders within society.