Wood Knife: Alunga Masquerade Accessory
Bembe, D.R. Congo
Wood, leather, vegetal fiber, pigment
Early 20th century

Alunga, a forest spirit believed to be a god of the dead, appeared in the form of a two-faced mask during rituals organized by members of the bacwa secret society. To clear a path, an assistant preceded him with a ceremonial wood knife, seen here. His ties to the world of the dead made him potentially helpful and dangerous. He could play a formidable role and demand reparation from those who prayed to him; an oracle pronounced his will (Bouttiaux, Persona. Masks of Africa: Identities Hidden and Revealed, 2009). 

The Alunga mask pictured below is in the collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, inv. EO.1954.79.1.

20.25 in 51.5 cm

InventoryID #13-2393

Price on Request