The ngady mwaash mask honors the role of women in Kuba life. It portrays a woman but, like other masks in Africa, is performed by a man. The most popular appearance of ngady mwaash is in a pantomime about the kingdom’s creation: ngady mwaash dances together with the mooshamb-wooy mask, representing the king (who is both her brother and her husband), and the bwoom mask [See 1982.1506].
Female Face Mask (Ngady Mwaash)
Kuba
- masks
- wood (plant material)
- kuba (democratic republic of congo style
- masks
- carving
- arts of Africa
- Arts of Africa
- Central Africa
- inorganic material
- pigment
- colorant
- cowrie shell
- cloth
- string (fiber product)
- appliqué (technique)
- adhesion
- african art
- african Art
- ceremonial mask
- glass beads
- beading (process)
- kingdom
- origins
- performance
- royal
- women