Mask, Chokwe; D.R.C. Congo/Angola
Wood, pigment; H. 9 3/4"
This mask would have been the facial
portion only of a much more extensive costume. The
masquerader would have also worn a headdress made
of stork feathers, a net body covering, and a dance
skirt that jutted out at the sides made of loose
raffia fibers. This mask is unusual among Chokwe
masks in that its face is carved out of wood rather
than made of constructed materials, yet it is similar
to the mwanaphwo mask, its female counterpart
with which it performs. Both emphasize noble status.
Chihongo was formerly reserved for the chief
himself or one of his sons and functioned as an
instrument of justice and social control. The protruding
chin signifies its elderly rank. This example is
remarkable in that the arcs of the eyebrows, concavity
of the face, and outward curve of the beard serve
to echo the same basic curving forms on several
planes at once.
