Kuyu Kebe-Kebe Puppet Depicting Ebongo, the Serpent God, Based

Ebongo, the serpent god. Held aloft on a staff. The performer underneath, invisible.

The Kuyu of the Republic of Congo carried kebe-kebe heads in dances, and this one was made in the 20th century. The face is black, carved with incised scarification lines on the forehead and cheeks, with white painted eyes and a red open mouth showing white teeth. A cap of pale hide covers the crown and wraps the neck, fixed with a row of small pegs. The head sits on a light wooden shaft.

Eighteen and a half inches tall. It is an intense face. Nobody is meant to look away first.