I just had to show one more set of photos from the Masks of the Congo exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum. The masks above are made from wood and fiber.
The one to left is another made of wood and fiber but this one has pigment added to add color. It also has a bird perching on its crown.
This one made me smile. I love it.
"It was part of a complex set of ritual steps involving the participation of a large group of assistants who cleansed and fed women suffering from infertility problems, accompanied by their partners and the mask character. At the end of ritual, the mask handed the women twigs representing babies; these were kept under their beds at night." Fascinating.
I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today. I'm visiting some ancient ruins.
I'm glad those aren't under my bed at night. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteAncient superstitions are so interesting ..guess some have even hung around. The bird on the head made me smile too.
ReplyDeleteI liked to see the bird too, Sharon!
ReplyDeleteThey're really more than masks, aren't they? Full-on headdresses and costumes!
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteVery impressive!
ReplyDeleteNice mask shots. The fertility mask and explanation are wild. Probably works even better than modern medicine.
ReplyDeleteDetailed, ornate, and full of meaning (though I'm not so sure what the bird's about but I like it).
ReplyDeleteFascinating indeed Sharon!
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