Biombo masks are usually carved from wood and coloured with red "tukula" powder, a dye made from the camwood tree.

The eyes are a typical coffee bean shape.

A triangular checkerboard design is used to decorate the eyebrows and the planes of the face.

The three forms at the back of the head represent the Biombo hairstyle.

Feathers are often attached to the top of Biombo masks.

Biombo masks are usually worn during tribal rituals and ceremonies.

The Biombo live south of the inter-section of the Luala and Kasai rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mouse over the map for a more detailed view of Biombo territory.