Anthropomorphic face mask "sachihongo" · Zambia, Mbunda / Mbalango · ID: 3051610
Starting price
EUR 800
Estimated price
EUR 1,600
Provenance
Helmut Heintel (1926-2003), Stuttgart, GermanySize
H: 46,5 cm
B: 43 cm
H: 18.3 inch
B: 16.9 inch
Description
wood, pigments,
“Sachihongo” most commonly represents the spirit of a cultural archetype - it is considered the incarnation of a mighty hunter, but it can also appear as an ancestor or a soothsayer. “Sachihongo” is symbolic of maleness, power, fertility and wealth.
The mask is is one of a repertoire of Mbunda and Mbalango initiation masks, collectively known as “makishi” (sing. “likishi”). They appear as part of the initiation and circumcision of boys known as “mukanda”.
Comparing literature
Felix, Marc L. & Manuel Jordan, Makishi Lya Zambia, München 1998, p. 72 f.