204 - TCHOKWE, ANGOLA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

TCHOKWE, ANGOLA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Mwana Pwo mask (young girl) representing the idealized female ancestor in the form of a young girl of great beauty who also embodies wisdom and fertility. Wood with a beautiful, lustrous brown patina resulting from long ritual use. The face has clear, regular, and harmonious features, with broad eyebrows arching over large, half-closed eyes—sculpted in relief and shaped like shuttles—split horizontally down the center. The broad forehead is adorned with the Chingelyengelye cross motif—sometimes also called Panya depending on the source—a geometric symbol that, among other things, serves as an emblem of social and spiritual rank in accordance with this people’s cosmogony. The nose is short and very slender. The mouth is wide and reveals even, pointed teeth. Both ears are adorned with ancient brass rings. An elaborate headdress made of woven plant fibers, fabric strips, and colorful glass beads lends volume and majesty to the ensemble. A braided cord is threaded through the holes at the base of the mask and drapes over the neck of the wearer and dancer. First half of the 20th century. Beautiful bronze base. H. 28 cm - W. 20 cm - D. 30 cm (excluding base)