Kifwebe masks were used in dance ceremonies by the Songye and Luba. "The left side of the mask represents the moon, the right side, the sun; and the striations are their rays. The nose is the tree of life; the mouth-the beak of a bird, a sorcerer's fire, or the everted lips of a forceful speaker; and the chin or beard is a symbol of wisdom and strength." (Newton 2001:162)

Provenance:
John Giltsoff, Girona, 1999
Sotheby's New York
Merton Simpson, New York
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels