Chokwe Mwana Pwo mask in carved wood with a dark patina and rope hair

Chokwe Mwana Pwo Mask. Carved wood with a dark patina and braided cord hair. Female mask with a beautiful design on the forehead. Height: 38cm. Width: 21cm. Very good overall condition, some wear to the wood. *This African Chokwe mask, called mwana pwo meaning "beautiful young woman, " is a true masterpiece from Angola. In the Chokwe tradition (as well as the Lovale and Luena traditions), exclusively male dancers wore female masks like this one, along with a ribbed cord costume, to perform gestures intended to teach the young women in the audience how to behave to attract their future husbands.