COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
MIA_.86.16
AMICA Library Year:
1998
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator Name:
Chokwe
Creator Nationality:
African; Central African; Congolese
Creator Role:
artist
Creator Name-CRT:
Chokwe
Title:
Mwana Pwo Mask
View:
Front
Creation Date:
about 1910
Creation Start Date:
1908
Creation End Date:
1912
Materials and Techniques:
wood, raffia, beads
Dimensions:
H.7-1/4 (mask); H.10-1/2 x W.10-1/2 in. (headdress)
Component Measured:
overall
Measurement Unit:
in
AMICA Contributor:
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Owner Location:
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
ID Number:
86.16
Credit Line:
The Putnam Dana McMillan Fund
Context:
The Mwana Pwo (young woman) mask represents the female ancestor of the Chokwe people. It embodies ideal feminine beauty and records traditional Chokwe facial scarification patterns.
The Mwana Pwo mask is always worn by a man who is disguised as a woman with a bodysuit, false breasts, and a cotton skirt. In dances performed for the ruler and the entire community, Mwana Pwo is sometimes accompanied by the male ancestor mask, Cihongo. Cihongo symbolizes authority and wealth; Mwana Pwo symbolizes generative power. During the performance, the Mwana Pwo dancer mimics and exaggerates the mannerisms of young Chokwe women.
Related Image Identifier Link:
MIA_.1479c.tif
