Buyu Basikasingo mask, Congo - Lot 157

Buyu Basikasingo mask, Congo . This face with angular cheeks framed by a crenellated beard is topped by a triple flared crest. The geometrical mouth protuberance is reminiscent of kifwebe luba and songye masks. The same physiognomy can be found in their statuary. The heavy specimen opposite shows residues of white kaolin in the hollows, and its irregular surface is slightly satin-finished. 41 x 24 cm Buyu African art. Migratory flows have brought together Bembe, Lega, Buyu (Buye) or Boyo , Binji and Bangubangu peoples in the same territories. The Basikasingo, considered by some to be a Buyu sub-clan, are not, however, of Bembe origin, as Biebuyck's work has enabled us to trace their history. Organized into lineages, they have borrowed the Bwami association from the Lega. Bembe and Boyo traditions are relatively similar. They venerate the spirits of nature, specifically water in the case of the Boyo, but also heroic ancestors, whose will is sought through divinatory rites. Hunting is also an opportunity to make sacrifices in gratitude to the entities whose favor and protection one has begged. Their masks are rare and their function poorly documented.