Female ancestor spirit mask "mwana pwo" · Angola, Chokwe · ID: 3049630
Bernhard Jäger, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
Description
wood, plant fibre, base
This mask type appears to honour female founding ancestors. Such representations are especially significant given that the Chokwe trace descent through their mothers’ lines.
“Pwo” appears with her male counterpart “cihongo”. Their joint performance is said to bring fertility and prosperity to the community.
“Pwo” masks are often performed at the celebrations that mark the completion of boys initiation into adulthood. That occasion also marks the dissolution of the bonds of intimacy between mothers and their sons.
The object Female ancestor spirit mask “mwana pwo” with the object ID 3049630 was last part of the auction 101st Auction at November 11, 2023 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 170 achieved a sales price of EUR 800.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.