What does the Chokwe mask represent?
What does the Chokwe mask represent?
Found amongst the Chokwe of Angola, these masculine masks (Chihongo, meaning ‘spirit of wealth’) are used to symbolize wealth and power. The masqueraders wearing the mask pay homage to male ancestors believed to be responsible for the prosperity and strength of the community.
Where are the Chokwe people from?
Chokwe, also spelled Ciokwe, or Cokwe, also called Bajokwe, or Badjok, Bantu-speaking people who inhabit the southern part of Congo (Kinshasa) from the Kwango River to the Lualaba; northeastern Angola; and, since 1920, the northwestern corner of Zambia.
Why is the Guro mask connected to animals?
This beautifully carved Guro elephant mask represents the spirit of Gu, the wife of Zamble; a supernatural being. Gu is often depicted as an animal. These are animals mostly found in the Savannah and tropical forest where the 200,000-strong tribe lives.
What is a helmet mask?
Within Mende and Sherbro culture, helmet masks are carved with symbolic features intended to endow the wearer with spiritual power. The masks are finely carved to convey admired feminine features: an elaborate coiffure, a smooth, broad forehead, narrowly slit eyes, a small, composed mouth, and a sensuously ringed neck.
What is the characteristic of Bobo?
Bobo is, as his name suggests, somewhat dimwitted, but he is basically honest and appears to be a loyal friend. When he comes to Walter’s apartment to deliver the bad news about the insurance money, he is so mannerly and polite to the women in the Younger household that he appears almost ridiculous.
Who were the Songye maskers?
Among the small Songye chiefdoms along the Lomami River, maskers were emissaries of the ruling elite, who relied on the ideology of witchcraft and sorcery to sustain their rule. These kifwebe members commanded a body of esoteric secret knowledge visually encoded mnemonically in the mask’s features.
Where did the Songye originally come from?
During the 16th century, the Songye migrated from the Shaba area, which is now the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their history is closely linked to the Luba’s, to whom the Songye are related through common ancestors.
Why do people wear face masks in the Congo?
Certain masking traditions of the Congo River basin personify local control of mystical power. Striated face masks known as kifwebe probably originated in North Shaba, an area inhabited by both Songye and Luba groups. Significant departures in the role and formal interpretation of this art form subsequently developed in each culture.
What is a Kifwebe mask?
These kifwebe members commanded a body of esoteric secret knowledge visually encoded mnemonically in the mask’s features. Hierarchical distinctions between a single female mask and an unlimited number of male masks are reflected in color and in sculptural features.
