Mask - Congo - CHOKWE Mwana Pwo

Beautiful Female Mwana Pwo mask of the Chokwe people living in Angola/Congo.
Ex collection of the Congolese collector Jacques Chaboto.
Now in my private Dutch collection.

The hairdo of the mask is of high quality by the complicated form divided in 4 parts by 3 strings of beads.
Traditional scarifications on the forehead, cheeks and chin. The one at the forehead very special.
The mask has a very friendly face with slitted eyes and a mouth with filed teeth.
Metal earring.

Material: wood, beads, fibres, raffia, metal.

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.

#MWFINDS