Ngaady a Mwaash Mask

painted and beaded kuba mask.

This Ngaady a Mwaash mask (c.1880) represents the primordial female of the Kuba people in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Queen Ngokady, a notable Kuba woman, created the mask, highlighting the important cultural and political contributions of women in the Kuba royal court. The aesthetic taste and noble attitude of the Kuba are embodied in the formal attributes of this mask which is a powerful representation of status and beauty. The beadwork that covers the mouth symbolizes the composure and quietness of women. The red in the mask represents suffering and the blood of menses and childbirth, the striated lines extending from her eyes and running down her cheek are tears. The black of the triangles signifies the hearth of the king’s home and the domesticity therein, the white of the mask the mourning of women and the blue, Ngaady a Mwaash’s royal status.  

The Ngaady a Mwaash has two mythical brothers who perform a mock fight to win her affection: the Mwash aMbooy represents the Kuba king, and the Bwoom mask the half-brother/foreigner. The museum is fortunate to have masks of all three in the African Collection. The three masks offer a poignant manifestation of the significance of women and the balance of gender and status in Kuba political systems and Kuba life. 

Gift of Mrs. George Howe, A. C. Coolidge, and Oric Bates. 17-41-50/B1908