Mask - Chokwe Mwana Pwo mask - DR Congo (No reserve price)

The Chokwe pwo African masks, among the numerous akishi masks (singular: mukishi, indicating power) of Chokwe African tribal art, are believed to benefit the community with fertility and prosperity. Height on stand: 32 cm. Gloss at the top. Smooth brown‑black patina.
The characteristic motifs on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are part of the chokwe aesthetic canons but also served as public markers of ethnic identity. This recurring cruciform frontal motif would moreover carry a cosmogonical meaning.
Always worn by initiates of higher rank, these masks were mainly worn during ceremonies