Description
Masks were used during Munkanda initiation rites for young boys and the Uyanga society, the men’s hunting association that instructed young boys in the hunt and also advanced men through a series of endurance tests. Other men’s asking societies appeared at funerals. Among the Chokwe dances are also the means to publicly demonstrate appropriate conduct and correct social behavior. During one version of a Munkada dance a masked figure known as Pwo, a Chokwe ancestor, representing an adult female, mature and beautiful who is dignified and spiritual reflecting all the positive attributes of an ideal woman who can serve as a Chokwe role model.
- Height : 38cm
- Provenance : Private Colection
- Estimated age : Early 20th Century
