Mask "sachihongo" ·  Zambia, Mbunda · ID: 3036148

Description

wood, dark brown patina, elaborate scarifications, min. dam., small missing parts, traces of insect caused damage, abrasion, base;
“sachihongo” is the incarnation of a hunter, but is depicted as chief and sooth-sayer as well. The masks (“makisi”) represent ancestor spirits. They appear after the circumcision of young boys, during times of convalescence in the bush camps, where they dance, accompanied by the songs of the male and female audience. The mask is completed by a crown of feathers, fiber beard and a net suit, made of the fibers of the “mushamba” tree.