Very expressive African Calebasse mask from the Salampasu, Congo.

This type of mask represents the source of all fertility.

Hand carved from a calebasse with feathers and textile.

Total height: 80 cm.

A warlike people, the Salampasu live east of the Kasaï River and are neighbored to the west and south by the Chokwe and Lunda, and to the east and north by the Lwalwa and Kete. Without a centralized political organization, however, some leaders wielded considerable power and created veritable armies capable of withstanding attacks from the Chokwe and Lunda.

The favored occupations of men were war and hunting. Despite the presence of missionaries, the Salampasu have been little studied.

The traditional masks and statues are made as part of initiation. Presented to prospective initiates in a progressive order, they symbolize the three levels of society: hunters, warriors, and the leader. Some masks cause such fear that women and children leave the village upon hearing their name spoken, fearing they will die on the spot. The costume, made of animal hides, feathers, and fibers, is just as important as the mask itself. It is sacred, and the spirit remains within it. The entire mask-costume carries the genetic name Akish, but once worn, it becomes Mukish.

The masks are of three types: those made of black woven fiber, with a conical headdress decorated with multicolored triangles; wooden masks with broad plumes of feathers; and finally, masks covered with copper plates and crowned with a collection of plant fiber plumes. The convex forehead projects forward, and the nose is broad and pyramidal.

Only one high-quality statue is known. Their artistic production displays certain elements borrowed from their neighbors, the Lunda and Chokwe.