REGION: Africa
COUNTRY: Democratic Republic of Congo
YEAR PRINTED: 2001
VALUE: 10 Congolese francs

This stamp is one of a set of three celebrating the traditional masks of the region. This stamp depicts a buffalo mask of the Tabwa ethnic group. The Tabwa form a small group that historically lived under the domination of the Luba people.  Tabwa masks are known to come in only two varieties, a human female and a male buffalo. Both are used in fecundity rituals for women who have difficulty conceiving a child.