Angola
Chokwe
Wood, fiber plant, metal, glass beads, pigment
Mid-20th Century
Height: 14 in; Width: 9 in
Other – Regalia – Headdress

The pwo headdress (mask) of the Chokwe is one of an archetype of womanhood, an ancestral female personage who encourages fertility and honors the founding female ancestors.  As an ancestor, she is envisioned as an elderly woman as seen in another Chokwe headdress in this collection.

Recently the pwo has become known as mwana pwo, a young woman as seen in this mask. It represents young women who had undergone initiation and are ready for marriage.  The mask is carved from wood featuring almond-shaped eyes, a partially open mouth, delicate chin, and scarification patterns on her face.  It incorporates woven plant fibers (headdress), metal, glass beads, and pigment to enhance its aesthetic and symbolic qualities.

These masks are worn by men during ceremonial performances, particularly in boys’ initiation rites called ‘mukanda’ which symbolizes the transition to manhood while honoring women who survived childbirth.  This acknowledges the representation of female ancestors as a significant part in their social and ritual practices of a cyclical force of birth and rebirth through their human live.