Female ancestor spirit mask "pwo"

Description

wood, pigments, base

Female ancestral spirit masks of the Chokwe represent the ideal woman. They are either conceived as mature, adult woman, called “pwo”, or as a younger female, called “mwana pwo”.

They perform at the “mukanda” initiation of young boys, together with their male counterpart, the “cihongo” mask. Their dances characterise the important social role of women in Chokwe society and are intended to teach the young girls the code of conduct of a Chokwe woman.