Kifwebe masks are ceremonial objects used by the Songye and Luba societies, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The masks take their name from a secret society ‘bwadi ka bifwebe’ (‘bifwebe’ in the Bantu language is the plural of ‘kifwebe’) where they were used for ceremonial purposes. The members of this association were believed to be endowed with sorcerer-like powers.
A distinction is usually made between female masks (‘kikashi’) and male masks (‘kilume’). The latter, characterised by more markedly aggressive traits, were used by the bwadi ka bifwebe to exert social and political control over the population, to maintain the status of the political elite and also to prevent possible abuses of power by chiefs. They are an integral part of the ‘bukishi’, an important initiation ritual that was, however, forgotten by the mid-20th century.
Very large sagittal crests, as in this case, decorate masks considered to be the most powerful, as the strength of the Kifwebe mask is said to reside in the crest.