Elephant Mukenga Mask
Culture: Kuba
Country: Zaire
Cowrie Shells, Beads, Raffia, Fur, Cloth
Representing the power of the elephant through a trunk-like
extension, this masquerader performs at funeral ceremonies
of high-status Kuba title-holders.
In Zaire (Congo), among the Chokwe, Kuba, Pende, Suku and Yaka people,
masks denote significant social functions. Among the Chokwe, chiefs may
wear sacred masks at ceremonies, when they perform sacrifices to ancestors,
seeking blessings for the welfare of their community. Among the Kuba, the
function of some masks is more focused on rights of passage, particularly
for a boy's initiation. Kuba masks also reflect spirits that act as intermediaries
between the Supreme Being and mortals. The elephant mask, is commonly used
among the Kuba, and is worn by a distinguished person during funerary rites
of a titled person. The white cowrie shells embellishing this mask are symbolic;
white is a color associated with death and mourning. For the Yaka, masks
perform in puberty rituals for male youths, as well as assuring and protecting
the future fertility of the initiated.