Featured Need help identifying and appraising this mask

Hello everyone.
I was gifted this mask from a local university cultural center. I am guessing it is Chokwe Mwana Pwo but I have not run across another one like this. I am curious about its identification and roundabout appraisal. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Welcome!
NICE photos!
Stand by for help.

 

Thank you! I am anxious to find out about it!

 

I'm not any expert..
but....the mask looks young to me.
The poor cross hatching on the forehead...the staining of the wood...& a raffia hair treatment that I've not seen before....that coupled with no signs of honest age, leads me suspect this mask was made in the last 27 years.

IMHO...

 

It looks pretty recent to me too.

 

I agree, no age.
But a very decorative piece, and it has value as such.

 

Am I the only one seeing it as a death mask? It looks like one even though it isn't; it was "dead perfect" for Halloween.

 

Yes...yes you are !
Chokwe Mwana Pwo...
Mwana Pwo (Young Woman Mask)
By: Adenike Cosgrove Tagged:

• Angola
• Chokwe
• Mask
• Mwana Pwo
• Wood

Image Credits

• Top Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Mask: Female (Pwo)
• Bottom Image: Sotheby’s African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art New York Auction, 16 May 2008

More Images...
Description

Found amongst the Chokwe of Angola, these feminine masks (Pwo meaning ‘woman’ - an adult woman that has given birth and Mwana Pwo meaning ‘young woman’ - youthful, feminine beauty) are used to pay homage to female ancestors believed to be responsible for the fertility of the community.

Worn by men of the community, the masks are used during masquerade celebrations (danced together with the male counterpart, Chihongo / Cihongo) to bring fertility, peace, wealth and wellbeing to the village. The man that wears the mask completes his masquerade ensemble with wooden breasts and a bustle allowing the dancer to move delicately and gracefully, emulating a woman (young girls learn manners and grace by watching performances).

NOTE: Masks with few scarification details are used to represent the younger Mwana Pwo.

Distinguishing Features

• High forehead occasionally carved with head-band
• Ears are usually curved or semi-circular with the tragus depicted
• Eyes placed in large, concave sockets
  • Usually almond-shaped
  • Usually half-closed slits
  • Swollen eyelids prolonged down to centre of concave eye-sockets
• Sharply defined mouth
  • Partially open
  • Protruding flattened lips
  • Filed triangular teeth
• Scarification usually engraved, cut away or carved in relief (older masks always depict scarification which was seen as a sign of beauty along with filed teeth). Scarification marks include:
  • Cingelyengelye: triangular marks on the centre of the forehead representing the Chokwe creator god, Nzambi
  • Cijingo: circular sun disks carved on the cheeks, denoting a spiral brass bracelet
  • Mitelumuna: carved on the forehead and extending to the temples, denoting ‘knitted eyebrows’ to show arrogance or dissatisfaction
  • Masoji: vertical marks carved under the eyes, denoting tears
  • Kapile: patterns on the chin
  • Kangongo: deep line down the nose

 

The Chokwe live in Angola Congo and Zambia.
These are all older than yours, BlackSheep. I particularly like the last one.
Here is one which dates from the early 1960s, with provenance (former Belgian colonial official), asking price 259 euros:

The site is in Dutch:
https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/antiek...age=lr&pos=1&lr_snippet=horizontalRichSnippet

Same site. This one has beaded facial decoration. Asking price 85 euros

https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/antiek...651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr&pos=5

Same site again, second half 20th century, has seen use and lost part of it's hair. Beautiful though, good piece imo. Asking price 279 euros

https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/antiek...651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr&pos=6

 

Thank you all for your info! It's one of my most interesting pieces!

 

It's a nice one...with lots of panache !
It's one of my favorite african mask designs.....