African Arts Gallery

Ex-Belgian African art collection.
Among the many African masks akishi (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African tribal art Chokwe, the powerful male counterpart of the < b>Mwana Pwo is the cihongo. This is the representation of a dancer of royal blood, masked with the chihongo and dressed in his costume. The chihongo embodying a spirit symbolizes power and wealth. He also intervened, sometimes, on the occasion of judgments.
Glossy dark patina.
The masks of the Chokwe, Luda, Luvale/Lwena, Luchazi and Mbunda clans are called "makishi" (sing. likishi) in Zambia. This name comes from "kishi", a Bantu concept that evokes the manifestation of a spirit or an ancestor. These agents of social, moral and spiritual order, forming a panel of different characters, sociable, aggressive, or unpredictable, in fact embody the spirit of an illustrious ancestor (male or female), their appearance manifesting itself mainly during rites mukanda, including circumcision, during which their true identity must remain hidden from the eyes of the profane. Their accessories and their behavior, depending on the case, symbolize moral values, highlight fertility, or even parody strangers.