Artwork Page for Mask (mwana pwo)

Details / Information for Mask (mwana pwo)

Mask (mwana pwo)

c. 1930s
Location: not on view
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

The costume this mask was worn with would have been made from the same netted fibers attached at its bottom.

Description

Emotional well-being and stability are valued in many African cultures and these qualities are mirrored in the Mwana Pwo Face Mask. It embodies ideal cultural standards of feminine beauty (beauty marks, elaborate hairstyle, fertility, and good character) and represents a distinguished female ancestor among Chokwe communities of southwestern Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo. The mask would have been danced by an itinerant male performer wearing a body suit and role-playing as a woman; women do not typically wear masks in most African societies.
Dark brown wood mask with a pointed chin, eyes closed to slits,  and mouth open in a triangular shape. Clusters of raised bumps create mirrored boomerang shapes on each cheek and a line on the chin. On the forhead, a black diamond meets with a triangle at each point. Cylindrical pale yellow reed beads tumble like hair on either side of the face. Netted grey fibers extend down from behind the mask.

Mask (mwana pwo)

c. 1930s

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo or Angola, Chokwe-style maker

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.