Ngabo Shield mask

It is a rare 'Ngabo' type shield from the Songye people, located in south-central Congo. Carved from a single piece of light wood, it is dyed in white, red and blue, and has a mask head in relief in the center. This head shows a rare mask specific to the Songye people and shows an obvious relationship with the Kifwebe mask thanks to its grooved decoration. In general, the Songye did not use these richly decorated shields on the battlefield; rather, they gave them as gifts between tribal leaders to symbolize a political and military alliance. This piece from DR Congo from the middle of the 20th century measures 18x25.5x102