Mask of Kounga dance

The mask is made in wood and with plaited hair. It is used for the dance of Kounga.; The Kounga is a religious and magical society. Notables and fetishists are in it and the post is hereditary. People of this society are the Kounga'ze. They are the last people who have the power of the magic spells; they would have the power to plant a banana tree and to pick the fruits on the same day; fifteen days for the raffia which gives wine. They tighten creepers between trees to make spirits step back. They have to do magical incantations for protection of the crops, for the rain or the protection of the land; dances and fire to step back evil spells. The Koungas sometimes sing laments or indigenous proverbs or opinions. From 1945 to 1959, Daniel Broussous was the head doctor of the protestant hospital of Bangwa, set up by the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (Paris evangelical mission society) in the south of the region Bamileke in 1935. Broussous took many photographs documenting the art, the architecture, the traditions and the daily-life of Bamileke chieftainships. He also made several films.该面具以木材及编辫毛发制成，用于孔加（Kounga）仪式舞蹈。孔加是一个兼具宗教与魔法属性的社群，吸纳名流与物神崇拜者，且职位世袭。该社群成员被称为孔加泽（Kounga'ze），他们是仅存的掌握魔法咒语的族群：据称可在一日之内完成香蕉树的栽种与果实采摘；而产酒的拉菲草（raffia）的生长周期仅需十五日。他们会在树木间缠绕攀缘植物以驱退邪灵，需举行魔法仪式吟诵咒语，以保护作物、祈求降雨或守护土地；同时通过舞蹈与篝火驱散邪咒。孔加社群成员有时会吟唱挽歌、本土谚语，或抒发自身见解。1945年至1959年间，丹尼尔·布鲁苏（Daniel Broussous）担任班瓦（Bangwa）新教医院的主任医师。该医院由巴黎福音传教士协会（Société des missions évangéliques de Paris）于1935年在巴米莱克（Bamileke）地区南部设立。布鲁苏拍摄了大量照片，记录了巴米莱克酋长领地的艺术、建筑、传统与日常生活，同时摄制了多部影片。