Anthropomorphic face mask "sachihongo" (or "samahongo")
Jens Jahn, Munich, Germany
Thomas Olbricht, Essen, Germany
Description
wood, pigments, plant fibres, collection no. “FC9082” handwritten in white paint, base
“Sachihongo” embodies the spirit of a cultural archetype - considered the incarnation of a powerful hunter, but also interpreted as an ancestral chief, elder, or diviner.
Marc Leo Felix wrote an extensive research work on the mask characters of the Upper Zambezi peoples. When he saw a “sachihongo” mask at a performance in Zambia, his Mbunda friends told him “sachihongo” was a “bwana kubwa muzee kali” - a big male boss, old and strong" (Felix & Jordan,1998, p. 73).
The mask of the “strong man” represents masculinity, power, fertility and wealth. The equivalent of the Mbunda “sachihongo” mask is the “cihongo” mask of the neighbouring Chokwe. Which of the two ethnic groups created the prototype, however, remains unclear.
“Sachihongo” 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”. “Makishi” exert positive influences on the inititation camp and on the community as a whole. They give physical and supernatural protection to the camp, privately educate novices, and, through public perfomances, help inculcate social values by commenting on moral standards, on history, and even on politico-economic circumstances and events.
Feathers and plant fibers were attached to holes around the edge of the mask. The masquerader wore a netted body suit and fiber skirts while dancing to a quick rhythm.
Although the practice was likely established far earlier, masked dances of the Mbunda were recorded by European observers beginning in the 1870s. In 2005 this performative tradition was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.