This small figure, made by artists of the Tikar culture of Cameroon, is a representation of a house god, an ancestral power that is believed to have been one of the first occupants of this region. The figure is short and stout because the Tikar believe that their ancestors were pygmies. Such house god sculptures are kept in the home because the figure is believed to provide … [Read more...] about Small African Figural Sculptures Researched by Emma Schupbach
The kifwebe mask (plural bifwebe) is made by both the Luba and the Songye cultures of Central Africa. Interestingly, the Luba claim that this was originally a Songye mask, while the Songye claim that the Luba were the first to create the kifwebe mask. Some scholars believe that these cultures each defer to the other in order to create an allure of strangeness for the … [Read more...] about Kifwebe Mask Researched and Reproduced by Tyler White