Extending a wide headband chiselled with checkerboards, braids in vegetable fibers, then a hood, adorn this African mask of the Chokwe worn by initiates of high rank. This adornment is reminiscent of the hairstyle coated with red earth of the Chokwe women. Smooth orange-brown patina. Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. African Chokwe pwo masks, among the many akishi or "akixi" (sing: mukishi, indicating power) masks of Chokwe tribal art , are exclusively female representations which were accompanied by accessories and finery. Together with their male counterparts, cihongo recognizable by their large plate-shaped headdress, the pwo must bring fertility and prosperity to the community. The characteristic patterns present on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are part of the aesthetic canons chokwe, like the pointed teeth, but also serve as public markers of ethnic identity.
Sold for 120.00 € This item is sold with its certificate of authenticity
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