Tschokwe, Lunda, Lwena - Tschokwe mask - Angola

Of Lunda origin, the Lwena emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe.
Some became slave traders, 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 honey-colored sculptures, embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks related to the initiation rites of the mukanda. This mask is engraved with circular patterns associated with ethnic scarifications. These details distinguish him from Tschokwe productions despite the relative similarity of their masks.
Speckled burgundy red and black. Wood erosion concentrated on the headdress and at the top. Old break under the chin.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire, from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sanctity of power.
Nevertheless, the Chokwe never fully embraced these new social and political contributions. Three centuries later, they eventually seized the capital of Lunda, weakened by internal conflicts, thus contributing to the dismantling of the kingdom. The Chokwe did not have centralized power but great chiefdoms. They were the ones who attracted artists eager to put their expertise at the exclusive service of the court. The artists created so many varied and high-quality pieces that the Lunda court...

Provenance

Raquel Montagut Gallery, Barcelona
Argiles Collection, Barcelona