173. Female (Pwo) mask. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Late 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal

• Form
  • Characteristics
    • Enlarged eye sockets
    • Pushed-in chin
    • Slender nose
    • High forehead
    • Balanced features
    • Almost-closed eyes
• Content
  • Marks around the eyes may suggest tears; scarification marks including cosmogram on forehead
  • White powder around the eyes connects the figure to a spiritual realm
• Function
  • These are female masks used by men in ritual dances
  • Male dancers are covered with their identities masked; they are dressed as women with braided hair
  • During the ritual. men move like women
  • Depicts female ancestors
• Content
  • Chokwe, a matriarchal society
  • The mask is discarded when not in use and can be buried with the dancer