Tchokwe Mask, Pwo.

Tchokwe mask, Pwo. Democratic Republic of Congo (Angola), first half of the twentieth century.
In carved wood.
Measurements: 20 x 13 x 10 cm; 37 cm. with stand.
The Pwo mask represents the ideal wife and mother who sows fertility, where she dances. The braided fibers in the back, allowed to fix the mask to the head of the dancer, together with a fiber suit that covered the body. The two most characteristic African masks of the Tchokwe ethnic group are the Pwo, a woman's mask, and the Cihongo, a man's mask. The Tchokwe have no central authority, the local chiefs being the main political leaders. This position has a hereditary character, which follows the matrilineal way, that is to say, passing the command to the male descendants of the maternal uncle. The chiefs, mwananganga, rely on the advice of the Council of Elders and religious leaders to make their decisions.
Provenance: Canadian private collection. Pon's private collection (since early 1970's) and European Private Collection.