Salampasu Mask Congo

While not the famous copper-sheeted form, this mask still displays clear Salampasu features. The bulging forehead and jagged teeth are clues that this mask was made by a Salampasu carver.  A bare-bones version of the well known form.

The Salampasu people who live east of the Kasai and on the upper western reaches of the Lulua River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and even flow over into Angola. They have had long term contact with the Lwalwa to the north and to the south the Lunda who they recognize by paying tributes to them. The Salampasu are best known for their powerfully aggressive masks covered with copper sheeting or with prominent carved scarification patterns on the face. 

Masks among the Salampasu are known under different names, Munkika, Kasangu and Mulandwa. This one is most likely a Kasangu mask. All these masks were worn during initiation into the men's warrior societies Idangani and Ibiku, during funeral ceremonies for dignitaries and in Boys' initiation and circumcision rituals. The dancer of this mask wears a knitted costume and holds a knife and antelope horns in his hands. See photo in Elisabeth Cameron (1988:34).

Salampasu masks are rare to find. This one will be of good addition to any collection.

The Salampasu masks hold significant cultural and social importance within the warriors' society of the Salampasu people. These masks were used as a means of protection against invasions by outside kingdoms and were integral to the initiation process for boys entering the warriors' society.

Initiation into the warriors' society involved a circumcision camp, where boys were initiated and then progressed through the ranks by gaining access to a hierarchy of masks. Ownership of a mask was earned through the performance of specific deeds and the payment of livestock, drink, and other material goods. Once a man obtained a mask, other mask owners would teach him the associated esoteric knowledge.

Salampasu masks were crafted from various materials such as wood, crocheted raffia, and wood covered with sheets of copper. The masks used for initiation purposes were distinguished by their bulging foreheads, slanted eyes, triangular noses, and rectangular mouths with intimidating sets of teeth. Additionally, the heads of the masks were often adorned with bamboo, raffia, or rattan-like decorations.

The masks represented the three levels of the Salampasu society: hunters, warriors, and the chief, and were presented in a progressive order to future initiates. Some masks were so terrifying that women and children would flee the village upon hearing their names pronounced, fearing immediate death.

In addition to initiation masks, there were masks worn by members of specific associations within the Salampasu society. Wooden masks, with or without copper coverings, were worn by the ibuku warrior association, signifying their participation in battle and killing. Masks made of plaited raffia fiber were used by the idangani association.

The possession of multiple masks indicated not only wealth but also knowledge among the Salampasu people. The filing of teeth, a practice incorporated into many wooden masks, was part of the initiation process for both boys and girls. It served to demonstrate the novices' strength and discipline.

Salampasu masquerades were held in wooden enclosures adorned with anthropomorphic figures carved in relief. The costumes worn during these masquerades were composed of animal skins, feathers, and fibers. The costumes themselves were considered sacred, housing the spirit within them.

Even today, Salampasu masks continue to be danced as part of male circumcision ceremonies, preserving the cultural and traditional significance of these artifacts.