Object Details
- Label Text
- This mask represents a beautiful young woman adorned with tattoos, earrings, now missing, and an elaborate coiffure. The original Chokwe name (pwo) referred to an adult woman who had given birth. The more recent name, mwana pwo, probably adopted under European influence, emphasizes youthful, feminine beauty.
- This is a used mask in an older style with a carved wood tiara. The knotted fiber hood was added later; it would have been part of body stocking costume that would have covered the body. Pwo or mwana pwo is one the most popular dancing masks among the Chokwe. Because they follow matrilineal descent, the Chokwe dance pwo to honor the founding female ancestor of the lineage. A male dancer is dressed like a woman in a costume of braided fiber that completely covers his body and hides his identity. He wears a loincloth, carries a fan and moves in slow, precise steps to emulate a woman. When the mask becomes unusable, it is discarded. When a masquerader dies, the mask is buried with the dancer.
- Description
- Wood face mask with large slit eyes under strong brows, relatively naturalistic nose and mouth. A rectangular band forms a tiara across the top of the head. Mask has traces of pigment and eroded surface and a knotted fiber hood is attached.
- Provenance
- Uzi Zucker, New York, -- to 1981
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Chokwe artist
- Date
- Early-mid 20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Uzi Zucker
- Medium
- Wood, paint, cloth
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 20.5 x 14.9 x 7.5 cm (8 1/16 x 5 7/8 x 2 15/16 in.)
- Type
- Mask
