Wood, raffia, brass, paint

Origin: South-central Africa (Angola region)

Interesting facts: According to traditional Chokwe belief, ancestral spirits play the crucial role of ‘providing’ for living descendants.  The mwana pwo mask represents a female ancestor but is always worn by a male dancer. This mask type represents the abundance associated with the women in Chokwe society and is worn to pay homage and respects to the female ancestors for providing for the community. Mwana pwo often features elements of beauty. In the case of this piece the key example is the scarification marks, which may duplicate those of the actual woman whose beauty inspired the carver, including the Cingelyengelye (cross) design on the forehead and intricate Masoji (tears) below the eyes.