Tribal Art

Mask Lwena Mukishi wa Pwo (N° 18251)

This African mask featuring a female ancestor, Pwevo, features raised ribs associated with traditional ethnic scarifications. These details differentiate it from Tschokwe productions despite the relative similarity of their masks. Mask of a beautiful symmetry. Abraded matte brown patina.
Hightop on a base: 41 cm. Originally from Lunda, the Lwena emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe. Some became slave traders, and others, the Lovale, found refuge in Zambia and near the Zambezi in Angola. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena became known for their often honey-coloured sculptures, embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks related to the initiation rites of the mukanda .