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| A mask with horns. (China Daily) |
One of the frequently copied objects is a mask with horns. It features a framework with five faces at each tip, which are believed to evoke the spirits of the forest. Its eyes are always open to depict that the spirits are always alert.
The curator Francois Neyt, 70, was born in the Belgian colony in Africa and lived there for decades. He is a Catholic priest living in a monastery and does not travel frequently, thus Martin hopes visitors to the exhibition will catch a glimpse of the personal vision of the curator as a priest dedicated to the art of Africa.
Neyt has divided the exhibits into three parts. The mask with horns is among the first part of the Heart-Shaped Masks collection.
Heart-shaped masks are found all along the Congo River, and worn at rituals and performances together with special costumes. The masks on exhibition are mainly from the early 20th century, and the wood - especially some light wood that the masks were made of - is difficult to conserve.
"All the masks are authentic, and have been used in rituals and ceremonies," Martin says. Since mid-20th century, the tribal lifestyle in Africa gradually gave way to modernization, and these masks and sculptures lost their pragmatic use. They were made for sale as artifacts.
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