Beautiful Female Mwana Pwo mask of the Chokwe people living in Angola/Congo. Ex collection of Alain Bruno - France. Now in my private Dutch collection. Traditional scarifications on the forehead and cheeks. The one at the forehead is an unusual one. Very special is the double folds around the eye-socket. Also the decoration at the border of the hair has been beautiful made by the artist. Splitted eyes. Material: wood, beads, fibres, raffia, metal, horn, cowry shells, hair. Pwo masks represent an idealised young and beautiful woman. It combines the evolution of the feminine ideal and the representation of an ancestor ensuring fertility. Its dancer would travel from village to village instructing women how to move gracefully. As in all African art, every feature has a particular meaning. For example: the scarifications on the forehead represent Nzambi, the Chokwe supreme being, whilst the scarification on its cheeks symbolise the rising and setting sun.