Makonde Helmet Mask

Tanzania Wood - 26 cm Provenance: Collection Henau, Antwerp Private collection, Belgium Exhibited: Ghent, Museum Dr. Guislain, 10 November 2001 - 2 June 2002, The Head, a full length portrait, p.199, ill. The Makonde on Africa's East Coast had strong ancestor worship that was kept alive in part through masks. At the end of initiation rites for young people, the ancestors returned to the community as masked people to dance and to confirm the close ties between the living and the dead. The awe-inspiring masks used during these initiation rites belonged to secret societies, and could also be used on other occasions to enforce authority and order. The Makonde masks often combine human and animal elements. This creates a half-being that grants the wearer not only some external features but, above all, the life force of the animal. The mask connects the dancer with all living creatures and the invisible forces of nature. This helmet mask is quite realistically elaborated. The round plug in the protruding upper lip and the relief tattooing indicate that the face with the Makonde is charged with all sorts of meaningful signs and codes. By decorating the body and especially the face in such a radical way, they give them an additional radiance and significance in the eyes of the human and divine worlds.