This mask is associated with Kuba royalty and the myth of origin. This helmet mask is made of raffia cloth stretched on a wicker frame and decorated with fur, beads and cowries. It is customarily worn at initiation rites. The Kuba possess some twenty masks. Most are related to the initiation ceremony.
All masks belong to the king.
Only the king can give permission for a man to commission the making of a mask and, then, only on the condition that he knows how to dance. To be the custodian of a mask one has to have proven his ability to dance with a borrowed mask. Most royal masks have disappeared since ordinarily the king is buried with them. During ceremonies the king will allow dancers to use his masks but they must be promptly returned to the palace. All masks are considered personal masks by the king who reclaims them on the death of their custodians.