Interwencja na wystawie „Afrykańskie wyprawy, azjatyckie drogi”
Intervention at the exhibition „African Expeditions, Asian Ways” [ENG below]
The ceremonial dress of the kingdom of Kuba (also: Bakuba) contains many stories. In the 17th century, according to tradition, Queen Ngokada was supposed to design a mask depicting Ngaady aMwaash, a female protagonist from the myth of the origin of the Kuba dynasty. In this tale, she is accompanied by two beings: Woot, the mythical first man, endowed with supernatural powers and simultaneously her brother, and Bwoom – a spirit who came from outside. Woot appears as Mwaash aMbooya to compete for his sister’s favor. He defeats Bwoom and marries Ngaady aMwaash, but the incestuous relationship brings disease to the kingdom. Therefore, King Woot leaves his wife. The individual elements of the mask tell the tale of Ngaady aMwaash’s experiences: the lines along the cheeks symbolize tears, the color red represents childbirth, and blue is a symbol of royalty. The black triangles signify the role of the guardian of the home, while the white ones refer to the experience of mourning. The Bakuba masks of Ngaady aMwaash, Mwaash aMbooya, and Bwoom are worn by men during ceremonies. The dances recreate the mythical tale of one of humanity’s oldest prohibitions, the prohibition of incest, which is woven into the legend of the royal dynasty’s origins.