Fine female Mwana Pevo mask of the Luchazi people living in Zambia. Ex collection of the late Jacques Chaboto, a Congolese collector. Now in my private Dutch collection. This mask always is worn by higher-ranking initiates. This type of African mask embodying a female ancestor wearing a thick braided headdress on a basketwork frame. It embodies an ideal of beauty, Mwana Pwevo, or the Pwevo woman. The pwevo are supposed to bring fertility and prosperity to the community. Traditional scarifications on the forehead, cheeks and chin. As in all African art, every feature has a particular meaning. For example: the scarification on the forehead represents Nzambi, the Luchazi supreme being, whilst the scarification on its cheeks symbolise the rising and setting sun. The eyes are typical Luchazi. Material: wood, beads, fibres, metal, bark, twigs and raffia.