Instead of creating statues the Kwele people employed their craftsmen in the making of plaques and masks. They were used in complex ceremonies for communication with dead ancestors or bush spirits- to help guarantee a bountiful harvest; in fertility rites and other purposes crucial to the well-being of the people. On this mask there are traces of white pigment or chalk which suggests the entire features were white. Spirits of the dead were conceived as having white faces, so this may be a funeral mask. Its oval shape is reminiscent of the type which so inspired artists like Picasso and Brancusi. The features are very skillfully worked, almost minimal in style, giving it an extraordinary expression. Tongs of leather criss-crossing the forehead and the thick band of hair or headdress add to its appeal.