This is the rating and price for African Chokwe Wooden Mwana Pwo Mask

Description : **Originally Listed At $500** Central Africa, Angola, Zambia, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chokwe peoples, ca. 1920s CE. A fine example of a hand-carved wooden face mask known as a Mwana Pwo with stylized physiognomy and a coiffure formed from woven raffia strands. The intricate visage presents with bulging ovoid eyes beneath high-arching brows, a slender nose between angular cheek bones, cupped ears, a narrow mouth with two rows of incised teeth, and several areas bearing incised scarification marks. The tall forehead is embellished with petite X's on either side of an ornate, four-lobed cross indicative of the beauty inherent to initiated female members of society. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size (w/o hair): 6.25 W x 8.25 H (15.9 cm x 21 cm) This mask may symbolize the figure of Mwana Pwo, an archetypal female ancestor, socially significant particularly because the Chokwe trace their ancestry through their maternal lines. The scars on the face are an indicator of beauty as well as ethnic identity. Masks from this culture are often used at initiation rites to welcome people into the adult world. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2003.288a, b Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, purchased in 2013, ex-Robert Bartos collection, San Juan, Puerto Rico All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #156484
Price: 560.25 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 900 USD-1400 USD It's free to register now to view!

Details