By Kaye Nelson
Let''s say you are given an assignment to make a mask that will not only represent your status in life but will also last for future generations so that it can be studied. You can use various materials but the mask should have evidence of trading from another country, needs to be worn while dancing and should tell a bit of history. Daunting?
The Kuba people of Africa had such an assignment, and the Bwoom mask is their final project. In an explosion of color, a variety of materials and detail, the Bwoom mask is a treasured piece in 'Seeking the Divine' - an exhibition at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures.
This particular mask originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
'When we think of masks, we think of costume. But when these people put on Bwoom masks, they became people who conducted rites of passage -- the masks are very ceremonial,' said Rebecca Shippen, promotions manager for the museum.
In Africa, masks represent spirits, dead ancestors and invisible powers.
'Bwoom is the spirit or mythological god figure in the Kuba tribe,' said Julie MacDonald, collections aide for the museum. 'It''s a Cain and Abel story where there was a good brother and a bad brother. Bwoom was the bad brother who killed his brother and stole his wife. When someone wears a Bwoom mask, they are representing every man and the good and bad in every man. It shows the human side of what man is.'
MacDonald helped set up the exhibition, which debuted in the spring of 2005. It took one and a half years of planning before the exhibition was installed. BYU collections provided most of the pieces, but some came on loan from other places.
'There were several private collectors that lent us objects,' MacDonald said. 'The Bwoom piece came from the University of Utah Museum of Fine Arts collection.'
Since the history of this culture only passed on by mouth, a lot of the history of the Kuba people is undocumented. And since most artifacts, including masks, are made of wood that decomposes quickly, there aren''t a lot left for study. Bwoom masks come in many shapes made of many different materials according to the University of Kansas Department of Anthropology Web site.
'The Bwoom mask in our collection has metal parts on it,' said Marti Allen, museum director. 'It is a composite of lots of items - organic materials and beads.'
Items like cowry shells and glass beads that decorate the masks indicate which village a mask is from. Since the masks deteriorate over time, all of the original masks have long since decomposed. The Bwoom mask in the Museum of Peoples and Cultures is a 20th century mask - fairly new, but still an excellent example of an item with an interesting past.
Museum of Peoples and Cultures
Seeking the Divine Exhibition
700 North 100 East - Provo
Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.