Chokwe Pwo beautiful girl mask
African art and masks
Mainly established in Angola and to a lesser extent in D. R Congo and Zambia, the Chokwe, which in reality include several sub-groups, generated a very particular artistic production, linked above all to the Mukanda initiation, composed mainly of masks depicting a multitude of characters. Among these masks, the famous pwo or mwana pwo, representing the young woman in the prime of life as we see an example in a context photo: a young Chokwe woman wearing beautiful and numerous scarifications on the body.
This type of mask was worn only by men who imitated the gait of these young women. The mask was accompanied by a braided fiber outfit as can also be seen in the photos. Here the well-preserved mask still wears its rope headdress. It should be noted that over time, if the coping deteriorated, it could be replaced. Thus, the caps are sometimes more recent than the masks themselves.
01476
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 19 x 12 cm (mask only)
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, rope
- Country
- Origin
- Tribal Art Collection Portugal
- Condition
- Excellent
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African art and masks
Mainly established in Angola and to a lesser extent in D. R Congo and Zambia, the Chokwe, which in reality include several sub-groups, generated a very particular artistic production, linked above all to the Mukanda initiation, composed mainly of masks depicting a multitude of characters. Among these masks, the famous pwo or mwana pwo, representing the young woman in the prime of life as we see an example in a context photo: a young Chokwe woman wearing beautiful and numerous scarifications on the body.
This type of mask was worn only by men who imitated the gait of these young women. The mask was accompanied by a braided fiber outfit as can also be seen in the photos. Here the well-preserved mask still wears its rope headdress. It should be noted that over time, if the coping deteriorated, it could be replaced. Thus, the caps are sometimes more recent than the masks themselves.