Southeast Angola
Mbunda

Wood, kaolin paint
Early-Mid 20th century
Length: 12.75 inches Width 8.5 inches
Other – Regalia – Mask

Very old and heavily used Sachihongo mask of the Mbunda people of Zambia. According to Jean-Baptiste Baccquart, ‘The Mbunda live in West Zambia, on either side of the Angolan border. They are subdivided into groups (Subiya, Mbalango etc). The ‘Sachihongo masks’ of the Mbunda denote a powerful, mighty chieftain, a hunter and a medicine man, who had lived a long time ago. This mask of the ‘wise, old grandee’ is used in the initiation of boys where it embodies the figure of the all adjudicating respected authority.’

This Mbunda Sachihongo mask displays prominent brow ridges (concentric linear arcs) and flat ‘hanging’ cheeks, typical of the Mbalango subgroup of the Mbunda. The checks show small vertical scarification marks.  The nose has two small, drilled holes at the bottom that do not extend through the mask.  On the front side is additional reddish coloring, perhaps sacrificial offerings.  The rectilinear mouth is opened with lips protruded and showing small wood carved teeth painted with white kaolin paint.  Above the face is a crown with geometric design.  There are “C” shaped ears with a single hole in the lobe of the ear on each side of the face.  Around the rim of the face are holes where raffia is most likely feed through and a few of the holes have been re-drilled.  Signs of usage and age, especially on the back side where the human face rubbed against the facial mask.

Although the practice was likely established far earlier, masked dances of the Mbunda were recorded by European observers beginning in the 1870s. In 2005 this performative tradition was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Source:  Mbunda wise, old man mask – Masks of the World