African Arts Gallery

The Mukanda men's association uses, among the Tschokwe, around thirty African wooden masks, for various social purposes and linked to the ancestors: the cikugu mask , the cihongo, the pwo mask, kalelwa, cikunza, but also this type of bird mask which we find different versions, often worn on a basketry base. Colorful cotton fabrics and various small objects are frequently added to it.
Satin brown patina, abrasions, small accidents. The Tschokwe, of Bantu culture, had established themselves in eastern Angola, but also in the Congo and Zambia. Following different alliances, they mingled with the Lunda who taught them hunting. Their social organization also affected Tschokwe society. The Tschokwe, however, ended up dominating the Lunda, whose kingdom was dismantled at the end of the 19th century. Elephants in the region were hunted for meat, but also for ivory which was intended for sale and not for the wide range of prestige objects for which they excelled. Colonization then contributed to their migration towards Congo-Kinshasa and Zambia.
Sources: “Chokwe”, 5continents, B.Wastiau and “African Art”, Mazenod; “Masks characters of Zambia” Jordan.