The pwo woman mask : Chokwe (Batshioko, Jokwe, Tshokwe), Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia

The pwo woman mask. While in former times the masks played important roles in religious beliefs and institutional practices, now many Chokwe masks have come to be used primarily for entertainment. Itinerant actors wearing these masks travel from village to village, living on gifts received at performances. The most popular and best-known entertainment masks are chihongo, spirit of wealth, and pwo, his consort. As an ancestor, she is envisioned as an elderly woman. Recently pwo has become known as mwana pwo, a young woman who undergone initiation and is ready for marriage. In terms of dance masks, the pwo is the incarnation of the female ancestor who encourages fertility; it is worn by a man dressed in a net tunic. It brings fecundity to the spectators, and it sometimes dances with a statuette that represents a mother carrying her child on her back. The cross-shaped motif found on the foreheads of both cihongo (male) and pwo masks represents a scarification pattern derived from a Portuguese iron cross, formerly distributed by Chokwe traders

Material:  wood

Size: 10”x6”x4”

 

Ceremonial Mask: Bambara (Bamana, Banmana), Mali

Ceremonial Mask. The 1.9 to 2.5 million Bambara people form the largest ethnic group within Mali and occupy the central part of the country, in an area of savannah. They live principally from agriculture, with some subsidiary cattle rearing in the northern part of their territory. Although recently the Muslim faith has been spreading among them, the Bambara are still predominantly animist. They maintain many of their ancient religious rites, which are principally concerned with agriculture, and the fertility of the land. The Bambara have a very complex cosmology. They believe in existence of spiritual forces, which are activated by individuals, who are capable to create an atmosphere of harmony. They excelled in three types of sculpture: stylized antelope headdresses, statues, and masks. The function of this unusual and beautiful mask is unknown.

Material: wood.                              

Size:   H. 11", W. 6", D. 4 ½"

BWA (BOBO-OULE, BOBO-ULE, BWABA, BWAMU): Burkina Faso and Mali

Numbering 125,000 in Mali and 175,000 in Burkina Faso, the Bwa are divided in three endogamous castes: farmers, blacksmiths, and griots (bards and musicians).   The Bwa are farmers who grow grain, especially millet, sorghum and maize. They have grown very large amounts of cotton since the colonial period, and the cultivating of this cash crop has contributed to the destruction of their traditional patterns of cooperative farming. Agriculture is practiced primarily by the men, women participating on certain occasions only. The blacksmiths forge tools and cast brass, and their wives make pottery. The blacksmith is also the village’s gravedigger and is responsible for digging wells. He is thus the man in contact with the soil; this indicates his importance, his role as mediator in disputes and as intermediary with the supernatural world. The griots weave and dye cotton. They play an important social role and are essential in public events. The Bwa have no centralized political organization and every village is directed by a council of the eldest men of the lineages.

Bambara (Bamana, Banmana), Mali: Ceremonial animal mask

Ceremonial animal mask.  The Bambara are the largest ethnic group within the country. There are about 1.5 million Bambara living in southeastern Mali. They are an intelligent dignified people, proud of their warlike past. Nowadays they live principally from agriculture, with some subsidiary hunting and cattle rearing in the northern part of their territory. They strongly uphold their ancient tribal customs against Islam and Christianity. The purpose and origin of this carefully carved mask have not been clearly established.  Possibly it was used in combined masquerades and puppet plays, entertainments put on by young men’s age-grade associations. The performance of each animal character is accompanied by a certain song and expresses social and ethical values.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 14 ½”, W. 9” D. 6 ½”