{"product_id":"set-of-2-songye-shields-with-kifwebe-mask-icons-congo-male-and-female-154631","title":"Set of 2 Songye Shields with Kifwebe Mask Icons Congo Male and Female","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeautiful set of 2 Shields, one male and one female.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe wooden shield featuring a Kifwebe mask at its center was prevalent in the Songye region during colonial and pre-independence Congo, a time marked by ethnic conflict and resistance against colonialism. These shields served warriors in battles, enhanced by the Kifwebe mask's protective power, known for its influence in the bwadi bwa kifwebe society's practices of evil magic and witchcraft. Adorned with striations reminiscent of a pugnacious bushbuck antelope, these shields safeguarded the special house housing the masks when not in use. The Songye, based in the southeastern Congo, are renowned for their Kifwebe masks—elongated with symbolic animal linear incisions, boldly painted in black, white, and red—used in spiritual performances to ward off malevolent spirits. Songye art encompasses sculptures depicting humans and animals, typically carved from wood, enjoying international acclaim for its cultural significance and influence on Contemporary art movements, with some pieces housed in the Tervuren Museum and similar examples found in other renowned collections like the Babier-Mueller Museum in Geneva.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou are receiving BOTH shields, male and female.\u003cbr\u003eIndigenous repair. Rattan broken at top edge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMale:\u003cbr\u003eHeight (in): 33.0\u003cbr\u003eWidth (in): 16.5\u003cbr\u003eDepth (in): 11.0\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFemale:\u003cbr\u003eHeight (in): 35.0\u003cbr\u003eWidth (in): 16.5\u003cbr\u003eDepth (in): 7.5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e154631\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"sku 154000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51353257541927,"sku":"154631","price":790.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_5225_57d76457-d81b-4684-bbb4-2bddcd30c774.jpg?v=1777475909","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/set-of-2-songye-shields-with-kifwebe-mask-icons-congo-male-and-female-154631","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}