Chokwe (Batshioko, Jokwe, Tshokwe), Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia

The pwo dance woman mask.  More than 1 million Chokwe constitute the largest ethnic group in Angola, DRC and Zambia. While in former times the masks probably played important roles in religious beliefs and institutional practices, now many Chokwe masks have come to be used primarily for entertainment. Itinerant actors wearing these masks travel from village to village, living on gifts received at performances. Most masks are carved of wood. The most popular and best-known entertainment masks are chihongo, spirit of wealth, and pwo, his consort. The pwo mask is an archetype of womanhood. As an ancestor, she is envisioned as an elderly woman. The facial decorations on the surface are considered female. Recently pwo has become known as mwana pwo, a young woman who undergone initiation and is ready for marriage. In terms of dance masks, the pwo is the incarnation of the female ancestor who encourages fertility; it is worn by a man dressed in a net tunic. It brings fecundity to the spectators, and it sometimes dances with a statuette that represents a mother carrying her child on her back.

Material:  wood, vegetable fiber

Size: H. 10”, W. 8”, D. 5½”