Facial Mask Kidumu

It is a round and flattened mask with two planes separated by a horizontal median line. You can guess a human face with very stylized features, with clear mastery of geometric drawings. It belongs to the Bateké Tsaye ethnic group, which is linked to the creation of the world and therefore has a cosmogonic character.

The dominant colors are the national red (paduk) color of the Teké, black (coal) and white (caolin). The two semicircles are in different planes, protruding the upper plane. It is a mask of abstract conception, its forms and drawings are constituted by geometrical motifs balancedly distributed. Despite being a flat mask the different sculpted symbols give it a small relief. Quite complex symbols that in the teké cosmogony represent the rainbow, the rising room of the moon and the sun, signifying the contour of the horizon line. The moon is represented by the circle arches that appear on the edge of its circumference and the sun, when looking at the sky, the feathers and raffle ribbons that surround it give the impression of a radiant sun. The purpose of this mask is to maintain social and religious cohesion in imitation of the cohesion of the universe.

Covers by members of society Kidumu at weddings, funeral ceremonies of important members or at the reception of personalities and at any other important holiday.